Quench Issue 160 - 14 Nov 2016

FEATURING EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS AND PHOTOS FROM: YOU ME AT SIX

ALSO FEATURING:

TALES FROM CARDIFF’S HOMELESS

400 YEARS OF SHAKESPEARE

“Whatever it is that you care about, make sure you use your voice.”

Autumn has always been my favourite season. To me, the crunch of the leaves, the cold evening chill, and the nights spent with a hot chocolate in front of the fire take some beating. Yet, this year is different. Autumn 2016 has been spent in a constant cycle of dread, shit coffee and stress. Why, you ask?

Third Year.

Long gone are the days spent pratting about in the leaves, and stumbling in at 4am after an eventful night at YOLO. As many (if not all) of you can relate to, deadlines are looming. Midterm essays have hit us all like a ton of bricks, and lecturers love to remind us that exam season is looming and WE MUST BE PREPARED. OR ELSE.

However, it is really important to keep everything in perspective. If the pressure is getting the better of you, make sure you take time out of your day to relax. Cardiff University has some excellent resources to help you get through those long nights spent in the ASSL, and sometimes just having some downtime watching funny cat videos on Youtube can make all the difference.

I’m very proud of this issue of Quench. We’ve tried our best to include a wide range of topics- some really important topical features, and some which still retain our typical light-hearted style. Keep reading for interviews with You Me At Six and The Hunna, a tribute to William Shakespeare, our Autumn/Winter fashion shoot, and our collaboration with the British Red Cross in meeting with Cardiff’s homeless population. With a copy of Quench in hand, Autumn may not be so bad after all.

2 Chainz

Editor-in-Chief: George Caulton

Deputy Editor: Alice Dent

Section Editors

Features: Rachel Jefferies & Emma Riches

International: Amica Phillips-Morris

Culture: Hannah Hopkins & Beth Girdler-Maslen

Creative: Sanja Dragojlov

Music: Mark Sweeney, Sophie King & Erin Brown

Food & Drink: Ellie Philpotts & Georgia O’Brien

Travel: Gemma Gibson & Harriet Thornley

Fashion: Jamila Gandhi & Megan David

Video Games: Elis Doyle & Caspar Jayasekera

Film & TV: Sadia Pineda Hameed, Naomi Davidson & Oliver Leigh Columnist: Molly Wyatt

Design Team

Head of Design : Jasper Wilkins

Deputy Head of Design: Lisa Doran

Lead Designer: Stephany Damyanova

Page Designers: Alyssa Alamillo, Eleanor Parkyn, Elis Doyle, Emily Giblett, Emma Riches, Lucy Aprahamian, Maria Collins, Sadia Pineda Hameed, Sarah Foster, Sarah Thompson

Contributing Artists: Lisa Doran, Tom Morris, Emily Jones, Sarah Foster, Sarah Thompson, Hugh Doyle, Meita Singgih

Contributing Photographers: Jasper Wilkins, Elliott Wang

Special thanks:

Shoutout to Eleanor for her brilliant efforts on Q3, to Erin for masterminding our Swn festival digital magazine, and to Stephany for helping out with last minute design revisions. Thanks to the Red Cross for their collaboration our lead feature, and to Elliott for capturing such great photos for us. And finally to Elaine. Obviously.

To get involved with Quench, email editor@Quenchmag.co.uk

George

A LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR

In

Amica

Before Game of

Whether

Exactly

Can you find Dylan?

To be in with a chance of winning a Cardiff University hoodie, email or tweet us with the pages Dylan the Dragon is hiding on. There’s three Dylans to be found (not including this one!)

Some people made some music. We tell you if it’s good or not.

Me At Six

Quench’s Emma Murphy catches up with the rock band just before their Swansea tour date.

Exclusive photos from the veteran grime MC’s brass-infused Cardiff gig.

The four man indie-rock band tell us about their rising fame and more.

Social media and the new wave of health-conscious teens.

Gabbi Wan gives us her best advice on seasonal foods.

Tough day at uni? Ease the pain by replicating mum’s best.

Emily Jones gets down and dirty in

and Bangkok. 40 Round My Hometown

Memories are fresh...of hooking up with your old PE teacher in the only nightclub for twenty miles while S Club 7 plays on an endless, undying loop.

44 Subscribed

Fashion subscription boxes - like a constant present to yourself, since nobody else cares about you.

46 Can we go thrift shopping?

We know you’re broke, okay.

48 Autumn Fashion Shoot

52 Sustainable Style Environmentalism in the world of fashion.

54 The Hills Are Alive...

Film scores are an essential part of a movie - our film editors gather some of the best.

56 Cult Classics

From Citizen Kane to Fight Club

58 TV Period Dramas

Stop pretending you care about the history, we’re all just here for Poldark’s abs.

59 War, what is it good for?

Call of Duty, Battlefield 1 - Caspar and Alex clash over which deserves the military shooter crown.

60 Hypest Hype

For every Witcher 3, there’s a No Man’s Sky.

A little bit of

COLUMNIST MOLLY WYATT GETS FRANK ON BEING A UNI VIRGIN.

Molly is a Journalism student who has a peculiar obsession with pineapples. A keen writer she also loves being on the stage; you may have seen her in one of Act One’s drama productions. Having experienced mental health illnesses, she is a keen bean to use her awful sense of humour to throw this out into the world and rid the taboos and social awkwardness’ that can linger like a fart. You might call her bonkers. Then again, perhaps not – political correctness and whatnot.

Find her on Twitter: @mollymokkamole or online at: www.mockandmole.blogspot.com

Illustration by Lisa Doran.

Molly

“I’m not having sex until I’m married,”

said the twelve-year-old me to my best friend as we walked home from school one day, with our skirts rolled high and our blazers still three times too big for us. “If a man’s not willing to wait, then he’s clearly not the man for me.” Damn. Twelve-year-old me was pretty self-assured. Nearly ten years later and has my opinion changed? Do I still stand firm about waiting until marriage?

Sex is like calories. It’s everywhere. You can try to ignore it, but it’s unavoidable. From the news, to films, from advertising to music, sex is as less a taboo than ever before. As much as virgins turn a blind eye to it, society will always find a way to dangle their testicles in our faces.

When I was younger, sex seemed like such a big deal. I envisaged it to be the pinnacle moment in one’s life, the stepping stone into adulthood, a symbolic union for two people truly in love. As I went through my teens, and the shock, horror of my friends losing their virginity under the legal age, this fizzled out, not only did sex seem ‘normal’ and no big deal, but it seemed expected. I can’t necessarily say that it was a matter of being pressured, but having sex certainly felt like a necessary part of going through your teens. Ever the people pleaser, and shamefully, trying to ‘fit in’ but ‘stand out,’ being one of the very few of my friends not to have had sex was embarrassing.

There’s a lot of misconceptions around people who are still a virgin in their twenties; they’re either devout Christians or they claim to be as frigid as an iceberg. The fact that somebody can go through Freshers and not bring somebody back to their place can seem alien to some. Is it that virgins are frightened? Are they trying to prove a point by saying ‘nuh-uh’ to some hanky-panky? When it came to beginning university, freshers week hit many like the plague. Do I take the free condoms? Do I lie in Never Have I Ever?

Playing drinking games, we’d go around the table and say the “weirdest place I’ve had sex is…” or “I’ve had sex with 37 people.” I just sat there drinking my Tesco value vodka and squash, gasping, laughing and going along with it. But briskly doing my best to dodge answering.

“I’ve not actually had sex with anybody…”

“Aww! Really!? That’s so cute. I actually really admire you for that.”

Well thank you. Yes, I do it to be cute. And inspirational. I’m basically in the running for being a child Nobel Prize winner. But the more I actually told people about this awfully embarrassing, Wall of Shame fact about myself, the more I discovered that there are actually quite a few of us Ye Olde virgins drifting around the student world. And from the general chin-wagging I got myself into about this, people were virgins for all different reasons. Some were worried about getting pregnant, some said it went against their religious belief or moral code, and some people just

hadn’t met the right person yet. Many, interestingly, didn’t indicate any specific reason – it was just the way things had turned out. Nonetheless, something that we all shared was the reluctance and embarrassment in admitting that we hold the title of being a virgin. Sad, isn’t it?

Mindlessly opting for chastity when I was younger was definitely motivated by being a Christian and following in my parents’ footsteps – (I think. But ew. Gross. Don’t want to think about that). But as I got older, I never even had a boyfriend. I ‘saw’ guys but never got into a relationship, and the prospect of even having sex outside of a relationship was a no-go for me. But then BAM. No. I didn’t turn lesbian or get hit by a bus. But BAM I started a new relationship, an abusive one, with this nasty piece of work called Anorexia. Not only did it suck the life out of me and plant me with a pre-pubescent boys’ figure (sorry lads), but my libido did a runner.

Libido, libido, where art thou libido? Reigniting my hormones is a funny one. Being stuck in a hospital, I am certainly male deprived and I am ready to pounce. “We’re going on a man hunt, going to catch a big one…” (Shame on you if you don’t appreciate that classic children’s book reference). Now I have gotten to this age, I do question my commitment to abstinence. Should I just get it over and done with? Is it really a big deal? Surely being a virgin must make me less attractive to guys? What happens if I don’t even get married?! Do I want to get married?

Who knows, maybe if I hadn’t have got this lame-arse illness, I may have gotten into a relationship and popped my cherry bakewell. Yet part of me feels an attachment to this decision in saving myself til marriage; it’s my decision and something that makes me ME. But for now I remain a single pringle, sort of trying to mingle and am more sure than ever that whatever the case, I am in charge of my own body, and what I do or don’t do with it, is my choice.

Molly x

EVERYONE HAS A STORY WORTH LISTENING TO. CARDIFF’S HOMELESS. THEIR STORIES. THEIR WORDS.

Set up with a degree and with a world of job opportunities, the prospect of homelessness is a distant worry for most students. But that doesn’t make it a problem to be ignored. Whilst the Cardiff high streets are alive with buskers and market stalls, the backroads and alleyways are home to the rough sleepers of the city.

The Cardiff University British Red Cross Society aims to alleviate the struggles of our city’s homeless, providing them with food, toiletries, and other essentials. “We asked homeless people what they would like and what’s useful to them,” says Society President Zoe. “We found that socks were a popular answer, so we ran a ‘Soup and Socks’ event, where we gave out hot soup and socks to those sleeping on the streets. We spend time with them too, and listen to what they have to say. As a charity society, it is important to listen to those that aren’t regularly heard. Some don’t want to talk at all, and we respect that.”

Quench accompanied the Society on one of their regular Saturday night handout runs in order to give a platform to those voices that, as Zoe observes, often go ignored by the wider society.

They are Cardiff’s homeless. These are their stories.

To get involved with the Red Cross Society, visit www.cardiffstudents.com/activities/society/redcross or contact BritishRedCross@cardiff.ac.uk

More of Elliott’s photography can be seen at ElliottWangPhotography.com.

INTERVIEWS BY EMMA RICHES & RACHEL JEFFERIES • PORTRAITS BY ELLIOTT WANG • IN ASSOCIATION WITH CARDIFF UNI’S RED CROSS SOCIETY

“I’m waiting for my friend to arrive, he’s finishing work at about 8 o’clock and he’s going to let me sleep in his car tonight. Last night I slept in a shed. All my clothes and stuff are there at the moment. I did have an appointment at the YMCA for housing but I missed it because I couldn’t tell the time. I don’t have a phone or a watch, you see.”

“I stay on this busy street for safety if anything. I don’t like going down alleys, it’s dark and dangerous there. I’m on the list for a room at the Wallich. I’m currently working with an agency as well to try and get a job. I’ll do anything. I don’t mind cleaning toilets. I just want to get back on my feet again.”

“I’ve been living rough on and off for 15 years now. I’ve been in rehab for being an alcoholic. I also have liver disease but they won’t treat me until I’m sober. My clothes and stuff are in the bushes at the moment. I’ve been trying to get into a hostel and I’m currently on the waiting list for Huggard.”

“It is starting to get really cold! I just sit here all day to be honest and try to stay warm. I’m currently on the waiting list for a hostel room. My dad is in prison and my mum has disowned me so I really have nowhere to go. The council have not helped me at all. The police have told me to move loads of times as well and they even arrested me once for what they called ‘indecent behavior’. I don’t care. I still come back to this spot.”

“I’ve lost a lot of my family and I’ve tried killing myself to be with them. I’ve decided that it’s best to try and live on and do well in their memory. I can’t read or write so it makes progress very difficult. I have a room at a hostel during the weekdays but they are full at the weekend so I can’t have a room. Even when I do sleep there, it’s just a bed and a room. What can I do with that? How am I supposed to get back on my feet without more help? I managed to get a ticket for the Little Mix performance in December though. I’m really looking forward to that.”

Winter in Cardiff

Because there really is no place like it...

WORDS AND DESIGN BY:

EMMA RICHES

ILLUSTRATION BY: LISA DORAN

Halloween is over and the smoke from Bonfire Night has wafted away, leaving us with an odd sense of loss and emptiness. With temperatures plummeting and nothing to celebrate until Christmas, this winter is turning out to be rather dull. However, many of us forget that Cardiff is actually a hive of activity all year round. If you’re disenchanted by the cold weather and have freezing toes on the walk to lectures, let these winter events warm your hearts and your spirits in this wondrous time of year.

Concerts and Gigs

Winter is very much the season for people to come together in a collective adoration of a person or band. Concerts and gigs are the go-to for those who want to chase away the cold and embrace the euphoria of the rich and famous. With everything from comedy to heavy metal, there is a gig out there for everyone. The Motorpoint Arena have a varied collection of acts. From a live rendition of The Catherine Tate Show on 17th November as well as Panic! at the Disco and Ne-Yo in the same month. With the likes of Biffy Clyro and Madness playing in December and A Day to Remember in January, the Motorpoint arena is definitely the place to be in the coming months. If these aren’t really your style or you don’t fancy the trek, the Student’s Union also have acts such as FM and Pierce the Veil playing in November and Clutch performing in December.

Fitness and Sports

Staying active and healthy isn’t just for the summer months. Whilst some of us gorge on hot roast dinners and a chocolate bar or two, some maintain their summer bodies with some indoor sports. One of the most fun is Infinity Trampoline park just off of Newport road. Trampolining and warmth? I’m in! There is also a Christmas themed fun run in Cardiff Bay hosted by charity Welsh Hearts. Don your best Santa or elf outfit and beat the cold by dashing 5km along Cardiff Bay barrage on the 4th of December! With cold weather also comes a heap of sports fixtures. When the rain pours and the temperature drops, we’d rather watch men run around in shorts and t-shirts than play sports ourselves. As a country renowned for a pretty decent rugby team, there is sure to be a good turn out at this month’s Autumn Internationals. Wales will face South Africa, Argentina and others at the Principality Stadium:

Saturday 5th November - Wales v Australia

Saturday 12th November - Wales v Argentina

Saturday 19th November - Wales v Japan

Saturday 26th November - Wales v South Africa

Culture

If loud and rowdy crowds aren’t your thing, there are always quieter alternatives to beat the winter blues. The National Museum is packed full of things to see. In December, there is an exhibition on ‘Wales’s Newest Dinosaur’... As unorthodox as it sounds, it may turn out to be a blast! The museum’s are also bringing in the new year with ‘Nature’s Song: Traditional Chinese Bird and Flower Paintings’ which opens on the 21st of January. For those who haven’t had the chance yet, Quentin Blake’s exhibition is on until 20th November. Get down there quickly to see an array of his illustrations and relive the images of your childhood! On a similar note, ‘The Wondercrump World of Roald Dahl’ is on at the Millennium Centre in Cardiff Bay. This one hour interactive tour will give you a up-close experience of Road Dahl’s life and works and is a wonderful event to compliment Quentin Blake’s exhibition.

Christmas Cheer

One event that simply cannot be missed, the highlight of the student winter calendar is the opening of Winter Wonderland. With ice-skating, a fun fair and mulled wine, it is a huge hit with students who want to de-stress from winter deadlines. Opened on the 10th November, it is a tad bit early for embracing the Christmas spirit. But, when the winter blues strike, sometimes the promise of a holiday and immersing yourself in a magical Christmas atmosphere does a world of good. And if you’re into the Christmas spirit, but don’t feel like spending money or going on fair rides, you can always attend turning on of the Christmas lights and the market stalls that are set up along St. Mary’s Street.

Yes, winter may be seem to be a rather dull and uneventful, but if you look hard enough, you’ll be able to find an array of events and entertainment to keep your mind and body satisfied. There is nothing to say that you have to do anything particularly special during the winter. Colder weather in fact makes some of the most normal and mundane events seem cosier. Having coffee in your favourite café when it is pouring with rain or doing a spot of Christmas shopping in the darkness of the early evening creates a sense of cosiness that simply isn’t felt in the height of summer. When the weather gets harsh and Uni life gets harder, take the time to pursue one of these events. With a woolly hat and scarf and an open mind, you’ll find that Cardiff in the winter is a lot more eventful that you originally thought.

THE BURQA VS THE BIKINI

When is it ever right to tell a woman what she should and shouldn’t wear?

WORDS BY: AMICA PHILLIPS-MORRIS

DESIGN BY: LUCY APRAHAMIAN

As I sat in Dubai airport, sleep deprived and awaiting my flight back to the UK, I noticed something I’d never witnessed before when flying to and from the Middle East. Women dressed in colourful abayas and hijabs. “It is changing,” the Muslim woman said to me on the plane. Whilst the covering up of women is still a regulation in the Middle East, a small but growing number of Muslim women are beginning to push the boundaries of this dress code.

Recently, debate has raged over women’s dress, in particular the wearing of the burqa, after a Muslim woman was forced to either remove her burkini or leave a beach in France. Many have taken to the web to discuss France’s rule banning the burkini and the resulting controversy in telling a woman what she can and cannot wear.

As a secular state, France banned women from wearing a full face-covering veil in public back in 2011, imposing a 150-Euro fine penalty. Recently, a dozen French seaside towns have chosen to ban the burkini, calling them a threat to public order, after the recent terror attacks in France. Although the burkini, unlike the veil, is not actually illegal in France, it appears that this could change.

Europe’s hostility towards the burqa is not entirely without cause. Many argue it insults the secularism that Europe, and especially French culture, revolves around. The attacks of Summer 2016 have only fueled feelings of vulnerability. With critics discussing Islam being under threat, the burqa is making it harder for police to identify security risks.

Yet how is singling out women for their choice in clothing the right thing to do? By banning the burqa France is specifically targeting Muslim women. Ironically, countries such as France that wish to ‘liberate’ Muslim women are now the same ones who are introducing extreme laws to restrict a woman’s right to do what she pleases with her body. Extremism is at the centre of this, as it is in fact extreme to suggest that any women of any faith cannot choose what they want to wear.

Through my visits to the Middle East I have had the chance to speak to women regarding restrictions on dress as well as experiencing these restrictions myself. Yara Safadi has lived in the Middle East for eighteen years, giving her an

“ Countries such as France that wish to ‘liberate’ Muslim women are now the same ones who are introducing extreme laws to restrict a woman’s right to do what she pleases with her body.

insight into the politics behind this complicated debate. She explained that wearing the burqa in any form (abaya, hijab, niqab) is “part of the culture/history within the Middle East” and as such many women do not see it as an obligation but rather a “choice to maintain this custom”. She elaborated further, “Some Muslim women, especially when in European countries, see wearing the burqa as protecting them from a range of potential problems, such as freedom from male harassment. Others enjoy the freedom which being away from their home country affords them, choosing to ditch their abaya’s as soon as their plane clears air space”. Although Yara does not defend the laws forcing women to cover up, she realises that she herself has “no business” telling a Muslim woman “what she can and cannot wear”.

This, for me, is the primary concern regarding events in France. Just how far should laws be allowed to go until we begin to question ‘who is doing the right thing’? Yara, too, has noticed the change in fashion concerning the abaya and burqa, commenting on the vibrant changes in colour as more and more women are wearing white, green and floral abaya’s. Although the change is incremental, it is still this change that is bringing a flurry of debate and discussion in regards to the topic of dress code.

The questions we are raising and the emotions they stir are not simple ones. Yet one thing is for sure, going further and banning the burkini is assaulting the basic human rights of women to have control over their bodies and what they wear. The banning of the veil and now the question of doing the same to the burkini further, highlights the divisions between secular states and those dominated by religion. And this divide will only get bigger; a recent poll in Britain found that a shocking 57% of those surveyed supported a full ban of the burqa.

The values and ideals that people hold are always going to differ. Which is worse: the unrealistic and extreme expectations of beauty in the West or having to wear a burka that frees you from scrutiny? Yara rightly points out “France is supposed to be a country that stands for liberty”. So why is it making me question the type of society we are creating? Although I may not agree with any government that demands their women be fully covered up, I also do not believe that targeting them for it will solve anything.

As Voltaire would say, I may not support the burqa, but I will defend to the death the right of any Muslim women who chooses to wear one.

SHAKESPEARE’S LEGACIES

DESIGNBYEMILYGIBLETT

OTHELLO

My favourite Shakespeare play is Othello. I first discovered the play during my A Levels, and fell in love with its varied and enduring themes of love, jealousy, betrayal, revenge and repentance. The tragedy follows Othello, a general in the Venetian military, his wife Desdemona, the daughter of Brabantio, the Venetian senator and secretly loved by Roderigo, and Iago, Othello’s trusted, but jealous and traitorous ensign. Iago hates Othello for promoting Cassio, who he deemed a less capable soldier than himself. Iago spins a very tangled web of lies and deceit through persuasion and manipulation, playing the puppeteer and the other characters his mere puppets. This climatically results in him killing Roderigo, and Othello killing Desdemona, along with Iago’s own wife Emilia. The tragedy finally cultivates when Othello realises Desdemona’s innocence, and kills himself as a result.

I love how Othello shows us the raw power that emotions have on humanity and letting them get the better of us. I also love how ahead of its time Othello feels. It features a black tragic hero and a biracial marriage, addressing the issues of racism that are still prevalent in today’s society. I find it fascinating how the themes and morals of Shakespeare’s plays are still relevant in today’s modern era, 400 years after his death. I’d say my favourite thing about Othello is how the cunningness of Iago, one of Shakespeare’s most infamous villains, with his deceiving lies can amusingly reflect a playground fallout at a school, like a jealous child or teenager, conjuring up lies and gossip about one another to get their own way.

Shakespeare is still making an impact by influencing the way we live our lives today. I bet most people are unaware that words such as ‘fashionable’, ‘dislocate’ and ‘savagery’ were all words invented by Shakespeare as part of his over 1700-word vocabulary. It’s true to say that the English language owes a great debt to Shakespeare, as his language still remains relevant in our current modern day society.

KELSEY REES

RICHARD III

Looking through my copy of the complete works of Shakespeare (bought at an impeccable bargain of £1.50, to which I challenge anyone to find a cheaper price!) I see how desecrated the section containing Richard the Third is with green highlighted underlining and pencilled notes. Apart from the need to thoroughly study it, the play genuinely intrigued me and continues to do so to a certain extent. It isn’t perhaps as enjoyable as Much Ado About Nothing, or as pensive as Hamlet; yet, the treatment of the Duke of Gloucester – “that bottled spider” (a wonderfully evocative phrase) - by his fellow characters I find at times deeply comical. I have a thing for misanthropes: from George Costanza to Squidward Tentacles; their hatred of the world and the world’s hatred of them is a formula I never tire of seeing. On a more self-important note, the play’s dealings with time, mortality and boredom, intrigue me in a way I’ve yet to feel in other plays of Shakespeare. Its legacy – certainly within popular culture – is encapsulated by both the eponymous and deformed character, and the opening lines; perhaps the most famous opening lines in Shakespeare’s work: “Now is the winter of our discontent...”. It has been borrowed from John Steinbeck for his novel The Winter Of Our Discontent and has been mocked in such shows (mostly comedies, curiously) like Red Dwarf and Family Guy. In Britain, many may know it as being evocative of not Shakespeare but of the British media’s usage for the winter of 1978 when strikes from garbage-men and gravediggers lead to both mountains of uncollected garbage and unburied corpses.

THOMAS EDWARDS

ROMEO & JULIET

Written early in Shakespeare’s career, Romeo and Juliet is the tragedy and love story that stands out in everyone’s minds. Romeo and Juliet are regarded as the classic archetype of young lovers. The tragic love story of two starcrossed lovers whose families are enemies and against all odds and rules they fall in love, is a story that has been replicated by many authors. Not only is it the inspiration for many doomed love stories, it has been adapted countless times and who can say no to Leonardo Di Caprio whispering those beautiful lines through the screen to you in Baz Lurhmann’s film adaptation?

Romeo and Juliet in my eyes has everything. In terms of romance it contains some of the most memorable lines and romantic phrases that are still used and swooned over today. Love is the main theme which is great for any hopeless romantic, but the action scenes and the cruel twist of fate where the two characters both die when they could have survived if time would have allowed it, clearly express the tragedy that is this play and earned Shakespeare his reputation. Shakespeare’s use of poetry and words is faultless, with this play in my opinion, being the easiest to read and understand in terms of dealing with Old English and Shakespearean language. Some people may regard it as a cliché, but its mix of poetry and satire combine to create a play which brings you into the all-consuming love that the two characters have for one another as well as the tragedy that befalls the Montagues and the Capulets.

BETH GIRDLER-MASLEN

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM

Written between 1590 and 1597, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, for me, has always been a stand out play of Shakespeare’s. Unlike many other of Shakespeare works, it has a plot that is entirely driven by the supernatural. Portraying the events surrounding the marriage of the Duke of Athens, Theseus, to Hippolyta, the play follows the adventures of four young Athenian lovers who are controlled by the fairies inhabiting the forest in which the majority of the play is set. Oberon, king of the fairies, and Puck, control the love and fate of the four young lovers to create the central tension of the play. With the help of a magical juice derived from a flower called “love-in-idleness”, mischievous fairy Puck creates a complex ‘love square’ between the lovers. The course of true love, of course, does not run smooth. Fairy magic however, once again resolves the conflict, when Puck and Oberon unite the lovers properly: previously engaged Demetrius and Helena, and Lysander and Hermia. Those familiar with A Midsummer Night’s Dream will see that, despite the romantic elements, the play distances the audience from the emotions of the characters in order to poke fun at the torment of being in love. All in good spirits, however - the comedy remains of one Shakespeare’s most popular, magically brought to life once again on screen in 2016 by ex-Doctor Who writer Russell T. Davies.

HANNAH HOPKINS

HAMLET

Hamlet is quite often considered Shakespeare’s most popular and most performed play. The first time Hamlet was performed was in 1607 on board the East India Company’s ship, The Dragon. Throughout the 400 years it has been performed, the popularity of the play has never faltered. Many people put this down to the way Shakespeare deals with universal human concerns throughout the play, from love and loyalty to betrayal and morality. Hamlet explores these through different relationships. His relationship with his mother is difficult, torn apart by resentment and disgust. Likewise, his relationship with Ophelia is not without its troubles as madness takes hold and subsumes both, eventually tearing them apart. Others believe it is popular due to the intricate plot that makes you want to read on - the play features ghosts, war, murder, revenge, madness and love. Many feel a connection with Hamlet, who is considered one of Shakespeare’s most “human” characters. Shakespeare’s greatest accomplishment through Hamlet was his ability to highlight the corrupt state and the issues that were relevant at the time of being written, such as the legality surrounding revenge and incest (Hamlet considers his mother’s relationship with Claudius to be incestuous). Despite being written over 400 years ago, Hamlet and the issues dealt with throughout the play, are undoubtedly still relevant and people are still able to relate to characters such as Ophelia and Gertrude, as well as Hamlet himself.

BETH PAYNE

DEAD FAMOUS: A REFLECTION

As we bid farewell to a number of famous faces in 2016, Dan Heard looks at why there has been such a massive outpouring of grief for people we didn’t even know.

WORDS BY DAN HEARD

DESIGN BY: STEPHANY DAMYANOVA

Is it just me, or do celebrities keep dying this year? It’s a bold statement I know, but hardly a week goes by without an update on your Facebook news feed or tributes on Twitter being posted to a singer, actor, writer or someone in the public eye who is sadly no more. In January alone, Ziggy Stardust, Severus Snape and the face (and voice) of Children in Need all passed away. David Bowie, Alan Rickman and Sir Terry Wogan lost their long battles with cancer within days of each other, but as a nation grieves for our heroes, we know that they will be up there somewhere on a sofa doing the best chat-show routine ever. Glen Frey, lead singer of the Eagles and the man who gave us Hotel California, joined them soon afterwards. In February, we lost To Kill a Mockingbird author Harper Lee. Then in March, it was producer George Martin, the “Fifth Beatle”, swiftly followed by Thunderbirds’ Lady Penelope, Sylvia Anderson, crooner Frank Sinatra Jr., magician Paul Daniels, legendary Dutch footballer Johan Cruyff, US comedian Gary Shandling, and, to round off the month, Ronnie Corbett, star of The Two Ronnie’s and one of the last great British comedians. April, and Prince boogied off stage for the last time. June saw the final bell ring for the Greatest, Muhammed Ali. Anton Yelchin, known to millions as Chekov in the Star Trek film franchise, was crushed to death by his own car in his driveway, aged only twenty seven. The world of Sci-Fi suffered another loss then in Kenny Baker, or the man inside Star Wars’ R2-D2. And then, the wonderful Gene Wilder, or Willy Wonka, or the Wako Kid or Dr Frankenstein (It’s FRONK-enstien!) was taken by Alzheimer’s. How can so many of these famous faces, so many cornerstones of our childhood and youth, be gone? How can the singers of such amazing, inspiring songs sing no more? The actors who gave everything in their performances, fall silent? The writers who enthralled us, and will continue to do so with their works for generations, put down their pens forever? It just doesn’t seem fair, right?

The outpourings of grief were enormous for some. There were street parties in Brixton for Bowie, hundreds swaying to Let’s Dance through the night. Wands, scarves and Harry Potter books were left outside Rickman’s house. The great and the good of the British entertainment world were there for Corbett’s send-off, and thousands lined the streets of Ali’s hometown as his hearse passed by, hoping for one last glimpse of the Champ. For some, it was as if a friend or relative had died. People interviewed in the aftermath of Bowie’s passing had tears in their eyes as they clutched his records and sang his songs. Many never met the man, yet that was the profound effect he had on them, on their lives, on popular culture, and the world he left behind. You saw the same thing when Michael Jackson died, or Princess Diana before him, or even US President John F. Kennedy before her. They were all cultural icons for their own reasons, and their deaths leave a public feeling deprived or almost cheated out of their heroes, who are all ‘gone too soon’. But just why is this?

Donald Horton and R. Richard Wohl coined the term “Para-Social Interaction” in their paper “Mass Communication: Observations on Intimacy at a Distance”. It was used to describe a feeling of closeness and empathy that the public had with celebrities. The idea that the member of that boyband you love is singing directly at you in their concerts, or Kim Kardashian is talking to you and you alone in one of her Snapchats. Because you’ve listened to Bowie’s back catalogue religiously, or have seen every one of Ali’s rousing pre-fight speeches on YouTube, you form that personal connection with them that in reality, isn’t personal. When a famous personality passes away, it will be hard to accept if you’ve invested such a great portion of your life into them and their work. While there’s definitely been a larger number of famous faces passing on this year, the emotion at their departures is nothing new, and don’t get me wrong, neither should it be seen as a weird thing to feel sad. Even if you never have met them or had a personal connection to them, you did in your own way. By watching their films, by singing their songs, and letting them make your world a better place, even for a little while. They’ll be missed.

“DEARLY BELOVED, WE ARE GATHERED HERE TODAY TO GET THROUGH THIS THING CALLED LIFE.” PRINCE, let’s go crazy lyrics

THE COMMUTER

A SHORT STORY BY FAITH RHIANNON CLARK

ILLUSTRATION BY EMILY JONES

His younger self would be shocked and perhaps slightly appalled to see him now – an overtired, haggard forty-something, clad in a striped office shirt and loosened tie, holding onto the rail of the five-thirty-five tube from Victoria back to his neat, yellow-bricked suburban home which houses two children and a broken marriage. Surrounding him stand others who have fallen into the same trap – victims of monotony, robots fuelled merely by cardboard cups of overpriced Americano that fail to satisfy an unquenchable thirst to escape.

His younger self would roll his eyes if he saw him now.

“You said you would never become one of those,” he would sneer.

One of what?

“One of those corporate types – catching commuter trains and carrying a briefcase and working long, long hours for money that pays bills but robs you of anything else you own. Robs you of time. Robs you of dignity.”

He imagines his younger self and his current self split into two separate entities. The younger self wears rolled up jeans and a bomber jacket and smokes profusely while pacing angrily around the current self, criticising his well-oiled hair and his lack of willpower to avoid such a sorry fate.The elder of the two sits helplessly in his leather desk chair, his countenance regretful, and his eyes shadowed by dark crescents.

I’ve been stupid, I know. But it wasn’t as simple as you think. You’re naïve. I couldn’t make a living from the band, I wish I could’ve, but I couldn’t. I needed money to live.

“I’d rather have no money, than have money and no time to enjoy anything.” The younger self tosses his cigarette butt on the floor and stamps it out with a booted foot.

I would too, I would give anything. Believe me I would. But it was out of my control.

“But sometimes you give up on what you truly want and settle for something less,” says the younger self.

The elder self does not reply. The train pulls into the station and he presses the button to open the doors. He walks through the housing estate in silence. Upon entering through his front door, he hangs his coat on the hook and places his briefcase in the hall. He walks mechanically up the stairs to the bathroom. From the cabinet above the sink he retrieves a brown prescription bottle and tips a green and white pill into his palm. He swallows it without water. His wife calls him for dinner.

Your story, poem or other creative piece could appear here! for more information, email Creative section editor Sanja Dragojlov at: creative@quenchmag.co.uk

QPID’S CORNER

find your perfect match with quench’s resident love angel

ALEX

22, third year Journalism student

TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF AND WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR.

I’m Alex, a 22 year old Scottish Londoner (exotic-I know) studying Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies, 3rd Year. Fan of all sports, music and a drink or ten.

I’m a massive follower of Glasgow Rangers, food enthusiast and a lover of Oasis.

I’m looking for a girl to have a bit of a laugh with and hopefully replace the pillow I cuddle at night – so ‘Let There Be Love’.

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST IMPRESSION OF MARIE?

She seemed quirky, pretty and easy to get along with! Thought she may have been used to dating, but turns out neither of us had been on a blind date. Marie was very easy to chat with, and I assumed she was quite well cultured before chatting properly. I would have never have guessed she was half french though!

HOW DID THE DATE PROGRESS?

t went very well despite pre-date nerves! The conversation seemed to flow and there weren’t any awkward silences. I tried to talk as little about football as possible as I probably would have gone on for hours. We continued our conversation during some post meal drinks until near enough 11pm... which must’ve been a good sign, no?

BEST BIT?

The best way to break the ice is to tell each other the worst state you’ve been in under the influence. Sleeping next to buildings aside, the conversation got a few laughs and made the evening a bit more casual. We agreed that her story beat mine, purely because her parents know her story and mine don’t (thankfully).

WORST BIT?

There wasn’t any bad bit of the date for me. I genuinely had a great time with lovely company - apart from her love of Gin (Can’t stand the stuff!)

HOW ABOUT A SECOND DATE?

I think we agreed on Lebanese food, which we both love, so that’s semi-arranged! Would be good to chat again as I had a great evening.

MARIE

21, fourth year German and Spanish student

TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF AND WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR.

My name is Marie and I am a fourth year German and Spanish student. I appreciate things like cheesy pick-up lines as they will most definitely get a laugh. Quite frankly, if you hadn’t already guessed, I will laugh at anything. Jokes aside, I love to travel. I spend my free time going on adventures and learning new languages, and I also love meeting new people. I am always looking for new things to do and am always keen to challenge myself. I’m looking for a date with a guy where there are no dull moments and the conversation flows.

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST IMPRESSION OF ALEX?

I thought he looked really nice. He dressed really well, and he came across as confident - not arrogant though!

HOW DID THE DATE PROGRESS?

As the night went on, we discovered that we had a lot in common (which is always good for a first date!) We chatted about different things, such as the secrets to success, our best drunk stories that we both had, and our biggest fears. We also found out that we had some mutual friends.

BEST BIT?

The whole evening was really enjoyable, and it was brilliant to finally find out who the mystery man was!

WORST BIT?

I honestly can’t say that there was a worst bit to be honest! I would be clutching at straws if I had to do that. It was really fun and we stayed there till late for after dinner drinks.

HOW ABOUT A SECOND DATE? We mentioned a Lebanese restaurant... Is your love life one big left swipe? Does Take Me Out keep rejecting your application, or just got a mate who can’t pull to save his life? Let Qpid be your wingman instead! You and your date could enjoy a fantastic FREE meal and drinks for two courtesy of Quench. Simply send a photo and a brief 100-200 words about yourself and your ideal match to Editor@Quenchmag.com with “Qpid’s Corner” as the subject and let Qpid do the rest! Date night consists of a shared platter and two drinks, courtesy of Quench. No cash alternative offered. Entry does not guarantee selection. Drink responsibly and always use protection. Qpid’s conclusion:

GRIME vs INDIE

GRIME VS INDIE: THE ULTIMATE BRIT MUSIC SHOWDOWN

INTRO BY: ERIN BROWN DESIGN BY: JASPER WILKINS

In an era dominated by Nike Huaraches, Yeezies, and Nike caps, we must ask ourselves; what is our era? What will Cardiff students in the future be wearing on 20’teened socials down The Lash? We’ve heard about the Mods and Rockers, but what about our generation? Quench Music have asked their contributors to think about the two much loved genres of today to find out what truly represents our music industry today.

Indie, as a genre is a rather vague one; you can make of it what you will. Many fans of the genre often place a mixture of rock and pop artists and bands into this bracket adding to the genres ability to adapt over time. Yet for the sake of this article, the generalization of anything with a raw guitar sound and a catchy riff will suffice. In the ‘wise’ words of a Mr Alex Turner, “That rock’n’roll, it seems like it’s fading away sometimes, but it will never die. And there’s nothing you can do about it.” We must question, although it is

popular and dominates the music scene, is it really the sound and genre our day and age will be represented by? Maybe not.

Grime has taken over. There once was a time where grime was an underground, rebellious, London affair. Yet today it is a music phenomenon, and the noughties have witnessed its global expansion. From the likes of Skepta appearing on the pyramid stage of Glastonbury, to Drake supposedly signing to the BBK label and JME appearing in the top 40, we are well and truely a generation highlighted as ‘the grime era’. It makes me wonder, will this be the sound to represent our decade?

So, without further ado, let the battle commence!

I CAN’T PIN-POINT EXACTLY WHEN INDIE MUSIC STOLE A SPECIAL PIECE OF MY HEART.

Most likely either since my innocent sixteen-year-old mind was blown by the sight of Kate Nash wearing just a t-shirt and black fishnet tights on stage about five feet away from me, or holding a giant flag with Richey Edwards’ face on it during Motorcycle Emptiness when Manics hit the Liberty Stadium. I firmly believe it is a genre that has so many strong contenders with tracks and artists that range from stadium heights to underground club scenes, the diversity is what makes it so appealing.

Rachael Hutchings

GRIME IS ABOUT MAKING YOUR OWN RULES...

a factor that undoubtedly makes its one of the most gritty, and authentic genres to break into the British music scene. Originating in East London and gaining popularity through Pirate Radio, and underground scenesGrime is a genre that firmly focuses on remembering your roots and where you're from- inspiring huge urban scenes to emerge throughout the UK, all led by the success and talents of artists like: Wiley, Skepta and Stormzy. Whilst these artists remain at the forefront, the sole focus of grime is on the music, meaning it is a completely inclusive genre, and subsequently, new artists, such as Novelist and Saf One, are constantly emerging- with faster, rawer and edgier bars.

Louise Belcher

WILEY BLOCKED ME ON TWITTER AND MY LIFE HAS PRETTY MUCH GONE DOWNHILL EVER SINCE.

Let’s get it out of the way; I fucking love grime. Snapbacks are the only hats I own, the gunfinger skank is the only dancemove I know. Me and Wiley have such good Twitter banter that the joker’s permanently blocked me. My heart beats at a permanent 140 bpm, Konnichiwa soundtracks my entire life and my firstborn child shall be named Stormzy. I accidentally touched Novelist’s nipple at Bestival and was healed of all illness and worries (it wasn’t an accident). Kano liked one of the photos I shot for this very magazine on Instagram and I rung up my mum just to tell her about it. “What’s a Kano? Why haven’t you called for three weeks?” she said. I hung up on her. Some people just don’t get it.

I THINK GRIME IS THE BEST GENRE FOR ITS ORIGINALITY.

Jasper Wilkins

Born and bred in the UK, using a DIY approach, Grime music offered insight into life in London’s council estates with a strong anti-establishment attitude. No artist more-so than Dizzee Rascal who won the Mercury Music prize in 2003 for his timeless debut ‘Boy In Da Corner’ which inspired youths around the country to try and emulate his aggressive vocal style over sparse and gritty productions. Skepta, The only grime artist to repeat Dizzee’s feat with ‘Konnichiwa’, has brought on a resurgence of the genre which rightfully solidified grime in British culture.

Rowan Lees

INDIE REMAINS AN AMBIGUOUS TERM- BETWEEN A STYLE OF MUSIC AND A DEFINITION.

However, the real importance of the genre is the individuality and freedom to be gained from remaining independent. Having been represented by some of Britain's biggest bands, such as The Smiths and The Strokes, Indie music encompasses a vast array of sun-genres- from math rock to shoegaze. And the creativity and ingenuity that comes from independence, allows indie artists to encapsulate a wider, and often, very dedicated following. As such, this freedom allows artists to experiment with British music, creating new and diverse scenes- all united by a passion for their music and this belief in art over commerce.

Louise Belcher

image

credits:

MUSICTOUR.EU, GQ, KAYLUM DENNIS

HOW

DOES

THE IRISH INDIE ROCK BAND’S

THIRD ALBUM SHAPE UP?

GAMESHOW

Two Door Cinema Club

Parlophone

Available to stream and purchase now

This album has been a long time coming, but it’s been worth the wait. It’s three years since the band’s Changing of the Seasons EP, and four years since their album Beacon; the fact that the band have taken this time away really shows on this record. Gameshow takes a definite step forward from the lighter indie feel of previous singles such as Something Good Can Work or Sleep Alone Instead, their third album brings with it a bigger, bolder pop sound, which is in keeping with a number of other records released this year by bands like Bastille and The 1975. That’s not to say that Two Door Cinema Club are just following the crowd. The band have taken this trend and made it their own, fusing it with elements of their first two albums, as well as a new, funkier (or indeed ‘gameshow’) type of sound, in a way that wouldn’t work for a lot of other acts.

This step in a new direction is most noticeable in the first half of the record, with lead vocalist Alex Trimble adopting a falsetto register over the band’s signature energetic guitars, which would have felt out of place on Beacon or Tourist History, but on Gameshow it works. The title track Gameshow is arguably one of the biggest steps away from past albums, as it reveals the band’s raw, emotional side. This track comes across as far more visceral than anything the band have released so far, with Trimble crying ‘nobody wants me!’ However, Ordinary reassures us that Two Door Cinema Club can still produce those effortlessly catchy hooks that will no doubt stay in your head for weeks. Gameshow does have its more sombre moments, particularly in tracks such as Lavender and Invincible, but it is in these places that this album seems to falter somewhat. The record’s saving grace are the tracks that embody that same energy and infectious quality that Two Door Cinema Club have become so well loved for.

Whilst it does offer something very different in places to what we’ve heard before, overall Gameshow incorporates just the right mixture of old and new to allow it to stand up as a strong third album. Although it does seem to fall a little flat it places, it’s exciting to hear Two Door Cinema Club taking a new direction, and I for one can’t wait to hear what’s next.

Lianne Potts

JOANNE

Lady Gaga Interscope Records

Available to stream online and purchase in stores (CD and vinyl) now Lady Gaga is known for redefining pop, pushing and remoulding the boundaries. From her stratospheric rise to fame in with 2009’s The Fame, she seemed inescapable, played every hour of the day on radio, and constantly shared on Limewire and in common rooms. With her most recent release, Joanne, Gaga tries to move on, and keep on pushing the boundaries further, to mixed effect. In Joanne she strips back her sound, back to before she even was Gaga, to a more soulful, piano-ful, and generally rounded product. Gone are the bold statements and meat dresses. Working with the likes of Father John Misty on Come To Mama, Florence Welch on Hey Girl and incorporating production by Mark Ronson, Gaga has produced a much more ‘normal’ album. Gaga has delivered something calmer, broader and more developed, but which lacks the the audacity and hedonism which brought her fame.

Mark Sweeney

WALLS

Kings of Leon RCA Records

Available to stream online and purchase in stores (CD and vinyl) now

The return of Kings of Leon has been long awaited since 2013’s Mechanical Bull Their new album Walls opens with Waste a Moment, which is instantly recognisable as the first song to be released and having received significant radio airplay. Within the first few seconds of listening you’re hit with a sense of nostalgia of previous records, as the sound is easily recognisable as Kings of Leon. With a faster tempo than previous albums, it is an enjoyable listen from start to finish, with a variety of different styles featured throughout, including a country theme on Muchacho Over is the longest track to feature and takes on a heavier feel. The guitars are continuously strummed in the background, which immediately allows you tap along. Although not quite as catchy as Sex on Fire, you could definitely imagine singing along to this track at a gig. The album closes with an acoustic track, WALLS. This song is the perfect end to yet another classic Kings of Leon album as it gives us time to reflect on the whole album and leaves us dwelling on their words When the Walls Come Down, which everyone can relate to. Kings of Leon will be playing five nights across the UK in February 2017.

Fiona Smith

WE USED TO BE IN LOVE

Clean Cut Kid

Polydor Ltd

Available to stream and purchase (CD and vinyl) now

Clean Cut Kid have been teasing us for quite some time with singles Vitamin C and Runaway, but we’ve finally got our hands on their new EP, We Used To Be In Love

While only a four tracks release, the EP clearly demonstrates what the band is all about and how diverse they can be. With strong influence from bands such as Fleetwood Mac and Vampire Weekend, Clean Cut Kid’s distinctive vocals add a unique touch to their sound, making the EP instantly recognisable as their own. The EP starts with the title track, which has an upbeat tune that you can imagine belting along to on summer road trips. The following two songs take a more laidback approach and really allow us to focus on the lyrics, giving us more time to reflect on the dynamics of the band. Hospital Lights has a slightly more eerie tone to it, giving us a more wintery feeling from the group, but at the same time captivates us with their intriguing choice of words.

Guitars feature strongly throughout the EP and help give all the songs their rich

INSTIGATOR

Kevin Devine

Procrastinate! Music Traitors

Available to download and stream online now

While he may have gained exposure from recent collaborations with members of Brand New and Manchester Orchestra, New Yorker Kevin Devine has always been a prolific and formidable artist in his own right. Now on his ninth studio album, Instigator finds Devine striking a balance between his acoustic roots and the distorted punk pop of recent effort Bubblegum

Devine nonetheless finds time to tone it down with a few sparse acoustic songs. Freddie Gray Blues is a morbid reflection on the spate of cop killings in America in recent years, counterpointed by No One Says You Have To, a sweet fingerpicked ditty featuring an intriguing watery guitar effect.

The album centres around three songs: No History is a spinetingling account of the events and aftermath of 9/11 and is the hardest hitting track on display. Devine has always had his finger on the pulse of American politics and culture, and Instigator finds him at his angry best. Although closing track I Was Alive Back Then hints that fatherhood might mellow him out, with the fractured state of politics in 2016 we can likely expect a few more protest songs in the near future.

EVERYTHING IS MY FAMILY

Crystal Fighters Zirkulo

Available to stream online and purchase on CD now

“Even my parents are being like, ‘This is the best thing you have ever done,’” laughs Sebastian Pringle, frontman of Crystal Fighters. Confidence, but not misplaced. Everything Is My Family is a fantastic addition to the discography of the AngaloSpaniard band. Drawing even more strongly on their roots, the album screams Basque, more drums, more guitar and even more electronics.

Jumping between upbeat tracks Good Girls and Ways I Can’t Tell the Fighters demonstrate a fine, magical mastery of their instruments, unleashing monster choruses to dramatic effect, before closing with Lay Low, a beautiful tribute to drummer Andrea Marongiu, who passed away in 2014.

Single All Night, is a particular highlight, bringing the carnival mood, but not the sun; an ode to meeting new people and enjoying the moment. ‘Living in the jungle of Central America, making music with friends, singing old traditional things from many cultures which were handed down through many generations puts our own writing and my own songs into perspective’, says Pringle. This inspiration can be heard in their music, a positive, upbeat fiesta to soundtrack this autumn.

Mark Sweeney

texture, making tracks instantly catchy.

The EP rounds off with an alternative version of Jamie XX’s Loud Places. Despite being a tough choice to cover, the band has really put their own mark on this song, turning it into an upbeat, funky version of the original.

So far, Clean Cut Kid have produced solid, quirky records and I can’t wait to hear more from them! They’re currently touring and can be seen at the O2 Academy in Bristol on November 14th.

Fiona Smith

Dillon Eastoe

YOU ME AT SIX

YOU ME AT SIX ARE BACK

After a two year break writing new music, the boys have begun venturing their way across the globe, Touring in both the States and the UK, and are getting ready to release their new album Night People early next year. Contributor Emma Murphy had the chance to interview them, right before their Swansea gig.

It’s great to see you guys back on tour again, are you excited about it?

Max: Yeah, we’ve been off for a while now so we’ve been off the radar for a little bit. It’s nice cause it’s given us time to focus on writing the album, which has been where we’ve been for the last year and a half. Now is like going to smaller venues where we haven’t played in for 6 years, and it’s really cool because it’s nice to have that intimacy again.

Have you missed being on tour?

Max: I think at the end of the last cycle we were ready to have a break, but then for the last 2 months we’ve been ready to get back on the road. We finished recording in May and then mixing mastering-wise was done in July time. So by August and September we were ready. Leeds is coming up which we’re getting excited for and we’ve also filmed a video for Night People as well, which was really cool. We’ve also just been sorting out all the artwork.

Matt Barnes walks in…

Emma: Hi!

Matt: Hello!

So who is the most annoying on tour?

Max: You’re looking at him.

Matt: Max probably wouldn’t have said himself if I hadn’t walked in the room.

Max: No I would have done! I’m the one that’s easily wound up and I say quite a lot of stupid stuff, so I’m more of just the entertainment on the tour.

Do you have any pre-show rituals to get ready and get pumped to go out and meet the audience?

Matt: We do– We’ve gone through a couple during the years, at one point we were singing the Fresh Prince of Bel Air theme tune, that was fun!

Max: We did Michael Jackson. We just listen to some music, have a sing, get pumped up. We’re going out to perform and put a show on for people so we want to be amped too, and we feed off the crowd as well.

So your new album is going to be released in January, which is super exciting for you guys, how has it been working on it, like what was the process like?

Matt: Crazy, it was hard work. It was the most amount of writing that we’ve ever done for a record and we were trying to find a producer for ages and then we had a phonecall from this guy called Jacquire King–who is mainly famous for doing Kings of Leon records and the latest James Bay record which is really sick. We got a phonecall with him and we were just like “Right lets go to Nashville then!”

Max: Recording them was different this time as it was in 2 stages, we went to Nashville in February for 3 weeks, and we recorded a lot of the album live. We did 8 songs [in Nashville] and then we came back for a couple of months and did some more writing. Plus One was a final minute song that made the record, we recorded 12 all-in-all and we did 4 more and finished up the other 8, and we then condensed it down into 10 when we finished the record because we were like these

are the songs that feel like a record, you know?

Matt: Yeah that’s the main thing, you just have to have fun with it. Gotta have a laugh. We’re playing another new song tonight that nobody’s ever heard as well!

That’s very exciting!

Max: But I also think the song we’re playing tonight, called Swear - which is gonna be the next single - is similar to Plus One which is quite a fast rock song, but still with a taste of ‘You Me at Six’ in there.

Emma: Speaking of Plus One it sounds a lot different to Cavalier Youth, is that because a different process went into the album?

Matt: Even on Cavalier Youth we wrote heavier songs, but we chose to record those type of songs and this time around we just write whatever we want to. We don’t set out to record a specific genre of songs so that riff just came out as the song came together.

It’s certainly a unique sound.

Max: Yeah I think our playing skills improved because we were playing the record live, Matt was playing with his fingers with the bass in this record you know, I’m playing different ways with my guitar like what I wouldn’t do normally, which is I think helped the song writing

So you mentioned one of your inspirations for the album was the Strokes, who else influences you?

Matt: We don’t really sound like the type of music that influences us - hip hop influenced us in this record but you wouldn’t be able to tell really. There are so many random weird influences, we were in the home of country music in Nashville, and that was a bit of an influence over there.

Max: People say that Night People sounds like Royal Blood and White Stripes. I understand the White Stripes reference because Jack White as a guitar player is such a big influence for me and this record.

So were there any artists specifically that influenced you from a young age and growing up?

Matt: I’d say the classics like Blink-182 and that, I was quite a pop punk teenager - all I listened to was pop punk but then through the ages I’ve gone through different genres.

Max: I had stuff in me like Kurt Cobain as well, I liked metal music, I still do, I like to blast Metallica out when I can!

Matt: Yeah on the bus we go Metallica, Craig David, Taylor Swift, AlunaGeorge.

So where do you see yourselves as a band in the next 5-10 years?

Matt: I mean I’d be stoked if we were still just doing this really, playing music for people who wanna hear it. It’s been an upwards trajectory the whole way, we haven’t stopped climbing yet, so hopefully it just keeps going.

Max: We’re not the same people we were, like you said, when we wrote Cavalier Youth. We were 23 in LA, sunshine and drinking, which is why that record has a light positive sound. Whereas this one, it might sound

darker in areas, but it’s got brighter moments too. It reveals a journey at the end of the day.

You can definitely see throughout all your albums that there is an evolution and a change in sound, you can see the journey just listening to it.

Max: But that’s if you’ve ever listened to some of the greatest bands around the world such as The Beatles, Pink Floyd, The Who, Rolling Stones, these historical bands, you can see that their first record is completely different to their last. You’re constantly growing and evolving.

So is that the kind of advice you’d have for budding artists who want to break into the rock scene?

Matt: You’ve gotta just be yourself, don’t try to be another band, because there’s already that other band doing that sound. Don’t try to copy anyone, just do what comes naturally.

Max: That’s like us, on the first record we took a little bit, for the second one we started to make our own kind of sound, and on the third record we went a different way with making it and same with Cavalier Youth. This time around it’s kinda like a process where you’re always just looking for new ways of making sound.

Matt: There’s no right way to make music and there’s no wrong way to make music, you literally just feel it and the moment takes you really.

One last question, do you think pineapple belongs on pizza?

Max: OOOOOOOOOOOH!

Matt: I mean obviously, hawaiian, yes!

Max: You see, I’ve come from the dark side, I was not a fan of pineapple on pizza, but I had Papa Johns, and it was really fucking good! It changed my opinion of it.

Matt: Chris loves the Hawaiian, that’s his favourite!

Alright guys it was great to talk to you! Thanks very much for your time!

WORDS BY: JOHN JARMAN

Before March, it had been six years since Kano’s last major release. Nevertheless, his new album Made in the Manor has been a real success and a huge hit with his fans, and his sold out show at Tramshed reflected this. With a set packed with both old and new crowd favourites, those in attendance were certainly not left disappointed.

As someone who had only heard a couple of Kano’s hits before this gig, it was a real surprise to see so many hardcore fans who knew every single lyric to each tune. However, after he stepped out on stage it was clear as to why so many love his music as much as they do. The young East Londoner owns the room, and his second song in the set ‘New Banger’ really gets the crowd firing. This tune does exactly what it says on the tin, and also brings in one of the central themes of his new album surrounding his upbringing in ‘the manor’. Not only this, but it allows the crowd to see Kano’s first use of his full

band, which includes a brilliant brass section. I challenge you to find another grime artist that uses a tuba and a trombone to such good effect. The brass boys stay on the stage for the next few songs, which include a personal favourite ‘This Is England’, with more references to Kano’s East London life accompanied with incredible instrumentation and a huge amount of energy; a definte highlight of the set and indeed the new album.

With all the references to his upbringing, it’s clear Kano has put a lot, both musically and emotionally, into his latest record and this certainly comes across in his live performance. This was especially noticeable when a small silence in between songs allowed the animated audience to chant “Kano, Kano, Kano” repeatedly. Now this sounds like something completely meaningless, but Kano didn’t take it this way. The young artist visibly became quite emotional and teary eyed on stage, clearly appreciating the gratification the Cardiff fans were giving him for a record that has taken him so long to create. While the set was largely Made in the Manor tracks, a

notable exception to this was his debut single ‘P’s and Q’s’, which drew one of the biggest roars from the crowd and is clearly still a favourite with Kano’s loyal fan base.

Towards the end of the set we’re treated to another reflective song from his new record in the form of ‘Strangers’, apparently telling the tale of his fallout with another MC and how they made amends. This song is completely different to the majority of Kano’s other work, with the artist rapping over a sombre piano line allowing us to really see his fresh humble perspective on things earlier in life. Fast forward ten minutes and with the encore Kano unleashes ‘3 Wheel-Ups’, an energetic and powerful finale that leaves the crowd roaring as the artist leaves the stage.

Whether you are a fan of grime of just a fan of good music in general, if you get the chance Kano is definitely someone you should go and see.

Visit http://kanomusic.com for upcoming tour dates.

2016 MERCURY PRIZE NOMINEE & GRIME SCENE VETERAN

ABOVE: Kano works the crowd during ‘3 Wheel Ups’ LEFT: DJ Chopper warms up the room MIDDLE: Kano pauses between songs BELOW: A fan enjoys the set

Follow Kano on Twitter @TheRealKano or visit http://kanomusic.com

All images shot at The Tramshed, Cardiff. For all upcoming gig information follow them on Twitter @TramshedCF or visit http://tramshedcardiff.com

Photography by Jasper Wilkins. For photo updates follow him on Instagram @Jasper_Photography

THE HUNNA THE HUNNA

Music Editor Sophie King got the chance to meet the up and coming band The Hunna at Cardiff’s Globe minutes before they went on stage. Four friends make up The Hunna; Jack Metclaffe on drums, Dan Dorney on lead guitar, Ryan Potter on mic and guitar and Jermain on bass. Here is what they had to say!

BY:SOPHIE

WORDS

DESIGN BY: ALYSSA

BY:SOPHIE KING

Hi guys! It’s lovely to speak to you! How’s the tour going so far?

Yeah, it’s just started really. Nottingham was our first, which was amazing. We played the whole album live for the first time so to see the audience’s reaction was really special. Looking forward to tonight as well.

What’s your favourite song to perform?

It’s nice to play all the songs, we wrote them so we love them! We’re looking forward to ‘Rock My Way’ though because it’s quite fresh so not many [people] have heard it yet.

Did you find that there was there a song last night or in other gigs where you had a particularly great reaction?

‘Rock My Way’ for sure! Also ‘Sycamore Tree’ went down really well because it’s a slow one so it showed a different side to us.

You’ve virtually sold out on this tour, how does that feel?

It’s amazing, it’s so nice to have the album out which is going well as well as the tour. It’s very surreal. Then we’re going to America for two months, which is crazy! We nearly died last time and that was only two weeks, so can’t imagine what is going to happen this time, so many shows!

How do you find touring America? Is it a different in terms of performing?

It is so much bigger and every state is so different. They’re definitely crazier out there. It is harder to crack but they do love their UK bands. We’re going to more places as well, which will be more fun.

What influenced you when you wrote your album?

Real life experiences, and then people like The Beatles, Kanye, Drake Kings of Leon. We go from grime, to rock, to reggae so anything we like or get a vibe from we will play.

So did you all write it together?

We all wrote a few songs on our own, and we wrote a few together as well. We learn so much from other people, and there’s a massive group that work together. The more the better really!

Have you picked up any bad habits on tour?

Dan smokes more! We’re trying to get away from eating so much crap, but it’s difficult now we’re in the routine. Also, we were sponsored by a rum company, so we end up drinking and partying a lot.

What do you guys do to chill out?

Smoke weed. We watch films, but there isn’t a lot of chilling out really, tour is pretty hectic. We usually just try and have a laugh and then sleep as well.

Do you ever go out in cities where you are touring?

On our first tour, where we were just support, we went out like every night. We ended up going to random house parties and just meeting loads of people and partying with them. Bristol was good,

we ended up staying up till like 7am. We’ve not been out in Cardiff though. Every time we’ve been here we’ve had to drive back on the night so we have never got the chance!

Where did the album name come from?

Well the band name is kind of it as well – The Hunna and the Hundred and we’ve had the 100 logo since day one. We also use the 100 emoji like all the time, and fans use it so it’s become a trademark. We put 100 percent into it so we think that’s what we want to represent.

Where would like to see yourself in five years?

Jack: Married to Kendall Jenner in a mansion, with loads of puppies.

Ryan: Headlining Glastonbury, globally smashing it really.

Jack: Yeah we want to be inspiring and spread positivity.

Jermaine: Providing for our friends and family as well.

Jack: Definitely with Kendall though, that’s what I want.

Apart from the tour, is there anything else you’re working on?

Ryan: This takes up so much time so not really!

After America, are you going to chill?

Yeah, we’d like to! I’d like to go away on holiday and just chill out. But next year for us, is already all booked out anyway. Got some festivals lined up which is proper exciting.

Finally, what is your favourite topping to have on toast?

Ryan: Butter, marmite and cheese.

Dan: Peanut Butter.

Jack: Nice jam I think, can never go wrong with that.

Jermaine: Jam with honey!

The last question managed to conjure up a whole topic of discussion but sadly we had to leave, leaving the boys discussing every topping of toast I think there is. The Hunna’s new album ‘100’ is out now!

ALYSSA ALAMILLO

INSTA-GUILT AND THE RISE OF ORTHOREXIA

26 #HEALTHY

NADINE PINNOCK INVESTIGATES THE SINISTER CONNECTIONS BETWEEN MODERN HEALTH TRENDS AND ONLINE CULTURE. DESIGN BY EMILY GIBLETT

It’s undeniable that social media has opened the door to people’s eating habits. With food diary vlogs, health bloggers and diet hashtags pervading our lives, people are becoming more and more absorbed in what their friends, families and idols eat every day. Not forgetting the ever-growing list of diets and detoxes, social media has created an overwhelming pressure to conform. Young people have to be eating low carb, low fat, all organic, GMO free, vegan, plant based and high protein foods to ‘fit in’.

I n a world with sky-high rates of obesity, the advent of #HealthyFoodShare and the increase of teenagers taking up veganism and organic lifestyles could be seen as a proactive step forward. Yet sadly, with the good comes the bad. Fad diets and eating trends are encouraging eating disorders. This problem dates back before social media was conceived, but now the internet has the power of thousands of young people. The superfood diet detox companies that want to make money from our poor body image can do this insidiously, and 24/7.

Take veganism, a movement founded with the sole purpose of reducing animal cruelty. In the last couple of years, it has been converted by health bloggers and Instagrammers who sell the lifestyle as a weightloss diet. ‘Raw Til’ 4’ and ‘High Carb Low Fat’ are alternatives to the vegan lifestyle, which apparently make it a ‘trendy’ diet. Research undertaken by Dr. Neal Barnard, John McDougall and co concludes that being vegan is a lifestyle change that can improve your health and reduce your risk of disease. But with today’s social media judging your every meal, it’s easy to become obsessed and restrictive. YouTube creator Melanie Murphy explained that after following a vegan diet for two years, a doctor told her not to remove food groups from her diet in order to stop damaging her health and mindset. Meanwhile, blogger Jordan Younger (formerly ‘The Blonde Vegan’) released a book on how following a clean, vegan diet led to her orthorexia. Despite these cases, the vast majority of people following a vegan diet report an improvement in health and often a decrease of damaging mental habits. It’s likely that the more involved (or obsessed) you are with social media, the more likely you are to have a poor relationship with food. Essena O’Neill was an online influencer, who built a huge social media following promoting a healthy, vegan lifestyle. She deleted her accounts and quit her ‘fame’, claiming that social media was depressing, fake and damaging.

L ooking into other cult health trends online, you can find a connection

between their worshippers and those with eating disorders. Clean eating is a lifestyle that cuts out processed foods and leaves you with fruit, veg and lean meat. It is notoriously connected to orthorexia, an eating disorder that fixates the sufferer on foods perceived as healthy, and creates a fear of anything processed or high in fat or carbs. Online you can find many calorie-restrictive diets, an example being 5:2 (where you eat less than 500 calories for 2 days per week). The NHS recommends eating no less than an average of 2000 calories per day, but thousands of young people are eating less than a quarter of this in a bid to resemble their online idols.

I asked a group of students between 16 and 19 years old their thoughts regarding the correlation between healthy eating and social media. All of those who had tried dieting before regularly used a number of social media accounts – and they all said that social media had a negative impact on their body image and eating habits. A respondent who had tried 5:2, Atkins, clean eating and a vegan diet said that it ‘generally makes me feel bad about my body - even when you lose weight there’s always more to lose’. Online diets are not the only factor when it comes to being health-conscious, as Instagram and Facebook constantly give us mixed messages about what we are meant to be eating, showing us irresistible Food Porn (think white chocolate Oreo-stuffed doughnuts) wedged between superfood salads.

O ver half of those who said they did not try dieting, still believed that social media has a negative effect on eating habits and self-confidence. In the words of one student, it depends who you follow - “health/fitness blogs can be very encouraging, but there are pages that either encourage unhealthy eating or body shame”.

Th e huge uprising of health movements on social media is overwhelming, often preying on vulnerable teenagers with little education on nutrition and health. Without them, Protein World could not sell their weight loss capsules and nobody would pay to eat Atkins’ low carb food replacements. If we want to enjoy food, the key isn’t restriction - it’s balance. Have a scroll through #healthy on Instagram, but don’t forget to give Proper Tasty a watch now and then.

THE NHS RECOMMENDS EATING NO LESS THAN AN AVERAGE OF 2000 CALORIES PER DAY, BUT THOUSANDS OF YOUNG PEOPLE ARE EATING LESS THAN A QUARTER OF THIS IN A BID TO RESEMBLE THEIR ONLINE IDOLS.

SEASONAL FOODS

GabbiWanpreparesusfortheweatherchangesasweswap our favourite summer foods to more traditional winter classics.

Words by Gabbi Wan

Design and illustration by Sarah Thompson

Now that we’ve said a fond farewell to summer, it’s time to dust the cobwebs off your favourite scarf, splash out on some new boots, grab yourself a pumpkin spiced latte, and most importantly, start eating all your favourite winter foods again! An array of gorgeous seasonal foods have done their thing and are back in season once again, meaning that it’s time to start indulging on casseroles, hot pots, soups, shepherd’s pies, chilli’s…and many a meal that incorporates the humble Brussels sprout (the Marmite of the veggie world). Summertime favourites, including fresh strawberries and raspberries, have been replaced with parsnips, cabbages, sweet potatoes, cranberries and clementines...the list is endless! These can all help to create some of the winterduring this glorious season.

If in doubt, soup. To make a basic recipe, you will simply need your desired vegetables teamed with vegetable stock. Boil them all together in a pan and (if desired) whizz them all up with a food processor or handheld blender. For a classic tomato soup, tomatoes and onions are all that are required. Carrot and Coriander uses carrots, coriander, potato and onion. Potato and Leek uses, as the name suggests, both these ingredients with added diced onions. It really is so simple to knock these classics up in the kitchen, saving vital time and energy when all you want to do is relax after an intense day at university. Two slightly different soups to try this year are butternut squash and sweet potato, or why not try your hand at making a pumpkin soup?

If you feel as though you’ve had enough beef casserole to last a lifetime, spice things up and add chestnuts for that seasonal spark. Adding fruit to your staple winter favourites can make for an interesting twist, such as adding a pear or an apple to your sausage casserole. Or if you want to get creative, try pomegranate glazed duck – both of which are perfectly in season at this time of the year. So what are you waiting for? Add some fruity flavours to further that festive feel.

It goes without saying that winter meals would not be complete without a hot pudding. All these winter fruits lend themselves brilliantly to baking cakes, pies and crumbles. We all know that classic jam roly-poly simply cannot be beaten, but don’t limit yourself to that. Give the traditional crumble a seasonal twist by replacing apples with plums. Add clementine to your chocolate pudding to give it that extra zest, or even try putting some pumpkin in your chocolate cheesecake. Oh, and whatever you do... don’t forget the custard!

“

An array of gorgeous seasonal foods have done their thing and are back in season once again. ”

COMFORT FOOD

Don’t worry, be happy!

Missing Mum’s cooking? Not getting all those good vitamins? Well, whether it’s pies, gravy or that delicious Sunday Roast, Ellie Phillpotts gives you the low-down on Cardiff’s best spots for comfort food.

WORDS BY ELLIE PHILLPOTTS, DESIGN BY STEPHANY DAMYNAOVA

University is good for lots of things. Independence, meeting new people, experiencing city life, making the most of the last dregs of limited responsibilities. Oh, and that day at the end of it all when you actually have a degree and pose in front of City Hall before going off to start that frequently-discussed adventure also known as the ‘real world.’ (Yikes…) However, it’s not so good when the Freshers Flu that ends up dragging on for a whole lot longer than Freshers, does nothing to quench your cravings for some proper good grub.

So here’s where to head when the paradox strikes – you need to inject your weary, hungover self with some comfort food that could almost rival home cooking, but somehow whipping it up yourself is just too much effort.

Pieminister Seasons

The lovely people at Pieminister know what’s up.

Admittedly, it’s probably also your cholesterol, but we’re willing to shove that to one side. Having been serving up some great pies for 12 years, it’s fair to say Pieminister proudly rule the pie scene, which they do here in Cardiff on St Mary Street, so you won’t have far to walk if you’re doing the sensible thing and lining your stomach before a big night out. Whether you’re after the classic Mothership, or think you can take on the Tower of Power, they’ve got you covered. They even go as far as the ice-cream pie, in case you ever wondered what that actually is.

Having a little gander round the Arcades is about as much of a Cardiff Fresher’s staple as arriving laden with baked beans, or commemorating your first sighting of Main Building over Instagram. However, the abundance of charming cafes found nestled here means you’ll keep pinging back in a manner similar to a boomerang. Castle Arcade’s Seasons is a stand-out – think Welsh specialities like rarebit and oggie (no we hadn’t heard of it either, but we’re glad we have now). The name may be slightly ironic, as Cardiff only ever seems to have one season – winter – but it definitely is the perfect place to hide from the rain.

Giovanni’s

While the climate is worlds away from anything you’d encounter in the Med, at least Cardiff’s Italian food scene is here to soften the blow. We’re spoilt for choice, with other gems including Cafe Citta and Calabrisella, but, proving Italians don’t have to begin with ‘C’ to be good, Giovanni’s is one to get acquainted with. Both the Hayes branch and Park Place closer to uni combine authentic flavours with a lovely ambience and even the opportunity to brush up on your own cooking skills, because the learning process shouldn’t be confined to the lecture theatre, right?!

You know the score.

You want good food but you don’t want to go far for it. Well sometimes your laziness can actually be a blessing, because without it you might not appreciate what’s right on your doorstep – and here that’s in the form of Jalan Malaysia. Bang on student central Woodville Road, Jalan makes us question whether variety really is the spice of life – or if that honour actually goes to cinnamon, ginger and chilli.

Happy Eating!

It’s fair to say you’ll venture to the Bay at least a few times during your time at uni, so you might as well get to know the best places to eat.

Sometimes comfort food isn’t all plates piled so high you’d think The Supremes were singing about them. There are times when you need a sugar rush, and The Deck definitely do it with more style than your flat energy drink in the ASSL. Not content with just being Cardiff Life Awards finalists and Certificate of Excellence winners, they’re even ‘Cwtch-Approved Vendors’, which is about as Welsh as you can get. The Deck do impressive breakfasts and baguettes, but it’s their cupcakes and coffee that are the talk of the Bay.

keep your sunny side up

Let a smile be yourumbrella

Jalan Malaysia

The Deck

South Asia: Travel

WORDS BY: EMILY JONES

DESIGN BY: LUCY APRAHAMIAN

We ran out of the rickety bus, barefoot onto the dusty road. It’s pitch black, save for the flickering light of a roadside restaurant opposite; stray dogs stare as we loiter in the long grass, hopping from one dirty foot to the other. “I’m going to wet myself,” I tell my best friend. We look at each other, distraught but amused, as we accepted we had little choice but to squat alongside this road. And so we did, in front of every local passenger on this 19-hour bus ride from Cambodia to Bangkok. When I think of travelling, it’s this memory that clouds my vision. Not the white sand beaches, the temples, the rainforests, or the sunsets. For me, what it is to travel can be summed up in one single image of two Welsh girls, squatting on the side of a village road at 2am, then proceeding (not willingly, I might add,) to each share a single-bed with a middle-aged Cambodian man for the remainder of our journey.

Yet my Instagram does not portray the ridiculousness of that night. In fact, travel-themed social media accounts in general have begun to mimic the pages of the glossiest guidebooks, enhanced by a trusty filter or two, the rough edges smoothed out and so glamorised that they make life at home seem unbearably depressing. It’s worth remembering that Instagram, like all social media, does not reflect real life, and therefore fails to project the very essence of what it is to travel. It offers snapshots of beauty, making us yearn for these little pockets of paradise, to throw away responsibility, commercialism and hedonism, ‘finding ourselves in a world of lost and confused souls.

I hate to break it to all you potential adventurers dreaming of life after uni, but travelling is hard. Sometimes it’s awful, and you’ll wonder, while on that 12-hour train journey and 4-hour boat ride, passed out on the deck in the baking heat, suffering sea-sickness and dehydration, why you ever thought leaving home for this place was a good idea. They say a picture holds a thousand words, and those words tell a story of a world that’s disorganised, uncertain, hilarious, rugged, and sometimes just plain disgusting. Feet constantly caked with sand and dust, clothes worn a dozen times before they are washed, rancid squat toilets, the waft of South East Asian sewage, mosquito bites, sleeplessness and sweat. That’s the life you (have to) embrace whilst on the road, and what ultimately makes travelling so unquestionably liberating.

“Feet constantly caked with sand and dust, clothes worn a dozen times before they are washed, rancid squat toilets, the waft of South East Asian sewage, mosquito bites, sleeplessness and sweat.”

Travel is about fucking up, every damn day – getting ripped off, and then ripped off again, missing transport, worrying about money and blowing your budget. It’s shrieking as your tuktuk driver hits a darting cow on a dusty Cambodian road in a summer storm and thinking, for a moment, that this is the end.

But it’s also about chatting with friendly locals who genuinely want to help you, sitting on the sand drinking beer and creating bonds with strangers talking about life, politics and places we want to go; just for a while, a few days, a week, they become your own little family. It’s swimming with turtles, watching the sun rise above Angkor Wat, hiring a car and driving around some little Malaysian island in search of waterfalls, blaring Adele on the radio and laughing when it rains against the windshieldjust like home. It’s putting on weight (don’t fool yourself, you will), meeting people you don’t like, and saying goodbye to people you love.

Contrary to popular belief, you’re unlikely to truly ‘find yourself’ or arrive home a changed, wiser version of your old self. You’ll probably come back confused about what you want to do with your life, about the direction you’re headed, what’s important and what’s not. You will, though, arrive home with wider eyes, and a thirst for the world which cannot be quenched for long. You may not come back enlightened, but a newfound confidence in yourself is something that travelling will gift you with, something which money cannot buy. You’ll learn that organisation is key even when wandering with no direction; you will find yourself able to deal with the most stressful situations in the maddest of moments, actually putting to use those ‘communication skills’ you’ve been highlighting on your CV for years. You will learn about all the cultures out there; pieces of human history that did not previously exist in your worldview. Travelling is not what social media tells you it is, it’s so much more than that: harder than that, and yet more beautiful, more eye-opening, more everything.

Beware, though! Roam the world once, even for a short while,

and you may find a restlessness seeping into your soul like a hunger that cannot be satisfied. The yearn for life out of that battered rucksack, dirty laundry and all, will claw at you. Quiet at first, and then louder, as responsibilities threaten to anchor you back to the reality of corporate jobs, high rent prices and drizzly grey November days. It’s worrying only about where you will sleep that night, where you will go next, what you will discover. In the words of writer Jack Kerouac, our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life.

HOME TOWNS

Our hometowns are treasures that we know better than anybody else. We know the good, the bad and the ugly, as well as all those little quirks that make it different from the next place. Cardiff’s students have been filling us in on everything we need to know about their hometowns, providing personal insights into both popular and hidden locations, both in and out of the UK.

Design and illustration by: Stephany Damyanova

Carmarthen

Words by: Kelsey

Rees

Carmarthen is strongly defined as the oldest town in Wales. Its Welsh name, Caerfyrddin, translates to Merlin’s Fort; Merlin was born in a cave located atop Merlin’s Hill outside Carmarthen, according to varied Arthurian legends. Legend also has it, that when a particular tree known as Merlin’s Oak fell, it would be the downfall of the town. Translated from Welsh, the poem reads, ‘When Merlin’s Oak comes tumbling down, down shall fall Carmarthen Town’. In order to prevent this from happening, the tree was dug up when it died and its pieces now remain inside Carmarthen’s Abergwili museum.

Carmarthen is home to the famous Carmarthen castle which opens six days a week for visitors, providing a remarkable view of the River Tywi once inside. Despite its rich history, Carmarthen today is very much a contemporary town. Recent new developments such as the new Secondary school building (making it the largest secondary school in Wales,) leisure centres, bowling alleys, shopping centres, and cinemas have revitalised the town, bringing in more tourism and dubbing the town ‘the newest oldest town in Wales’. Carmarthen is a wonderful place to spend some time in the sun, as it is home to the popular Llansteffan beach. Here you can visit the Llansteffan castle, overlooking the River Tywi and

Llandudno

Words by: Gabrielle Wan

Growing up in a tourist seaside town wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. Sandcastles, icecream and typical beach frolics were everywhere 24/7.But now that I’m at university, I really appreciate being able to travel back to spend my summers in Llandudno. Situated at the top of North Wales, Llandudo has plenitudes to offer. Though it may be small, this little town is special because it’s known for trying to preserve many of its Victorian features, such as the style of buildings and the Victorian tram that can take you up the Orme.

To say that a hill is a good reason to visit may sound odd! But we have the Great Orme which allows people to - toboggan and ski down and ride the cable cars. If they are not for you, however, then its worth venturing up simply for the beautiful (Instagram-

As well as Llandudno being the place Lewis Carrol gained much of his inspiration for Literature, my favourite thing about Llandudno is that we play host to two sandy

Words by: Sanja Dragojlov

A Balkan gem situated on the banks of the famous Danube River, Novi Sad is the capital of the northern Serbian province, Vojvodina, having many attractions and brimming with history and a rich culture.

Perhaps one of the main reasons why people visit Novi Sad is due to Exit Festival, taking place across the Danube at Petrovaradin-a three day festival opening with fireworks and starring many internationally known acts. Petrovaradin Fortress stands ideally atop the river bluffs with its picturesque black and white clock tower, where the minute hand shows the hour while the hour hand shows the minutes! Petrovaradin dates back to the 17th and 18th centuries and is a go-to place if you want to have a stunning view of the city or have some nice “ćevapčići” (Serbian grilled meat rolls) at one of the restaurants. If you venture across the Danube in the town centre, you will find the famous Cathedral with its colourful spires piercing the sky, plus many independent and high street shops.

In the centre, you will also find a street called, Laza Telečkog which is famous for nightlife. Novi Sad, like most of Serbia, is home to many markets including “Riblja variety of like the famous and souvenirs.

Plymouth

Words by: Jessica Downing

Plymouth, ‘Britain’s Ocean City’. That is what the signs say, anyway. I mean, they’re not wrong, it is by the ocean. Despite what the name suggests, you will be hard pushed to find golden beaches and deckchairs roaming round. Yes, you are near the ocean, but that doesn’t mean you want to go in it. You would turn to an ice cube if you dipped even one toe into those cold waters.

Whilst you may not want to get too close to the ocean, you can admire it from afar at the wonderfully named ‘Plymouth Hoe’, which comes complete with an Instagram-able lighthouse. After catching your death from a cold due to sitting on a bench, licking an ice cream in the sweltering 6 degree September heat, you can wander down to the Barbican - (basically a less impressive version of Cardiff Bay.) Here you pretend to be classy by ordering cocktails with your fish and chips, before ending the night at Oceana. No, not Pryzm. Oceana.

Birmingham

Words by: Maria Collins

When I first arrived at university and told people I came from Birmingham, I was greeted with the same distasteful reaction from everyone I met. Instead of discussing with me something interesting or alluring about Britain’s ‘Second City,’ students informed me that Birmingham was a ‘dump.’ However, not one person who shared this stereotypical view had ever visited or even seen the city before and therefore, couldn’t justify what made it so utterly awful.

For the only British city to make Rough Guides’ 2015 ‘Top 10 Cities in the World’ list, the youngest city in Europe must be doing something right. Gone are the old industrial days where Queen Victoria reportedly asked for the blinds of her train carriage to be drawn as she passed through the city, as today, Birmingham is one of Britain’s most cosmopolitan cities. In recent years the city has undergone an image overhaul by investing £650 million into redeveloping grand central station and £188 million into creating the largest public library in Europe.

These modern landmarks only add to older tourist destinations like The Bullring, The Custard Factory, Cadbury World and of course The Sarehole Mill Exhibition; even a genius like J.R.R. Tolkien recognised the beauty of Birmingham and used it as his inspiration for setting ideas when writing ‘Lord of The Rings.’

Barry Island

Words by: Jessica Garrard Chick

Barry Island, known from the hit TV show Gavin & Stacey, is a gorgeous town to live in. The setting is delicate yet iconic, full of greenery and features an impressive amount of dog walkers!

Living so close to the beach means I take all the beautiful attractions for granted. What is amazing about Barry is undeniably the sea front; full of coffee shops and chippy’s to die for. There is an incredible fairground with a gigantic ferris wheel overlooking Barry sea front. Picture perfect (I promise!).

If you’re unlucky enough to be spending more than 24 hours in Britain’s Ocean City, spend the next day browsing the stores of Drake Circus Shopping Mall. Don’t expect to find Zara, Urban Outfitters, Jack Wills, or even a Pret. Sorry, we do

It’s not all bad though; if you are looking for somewhere nice to go to eat, head to Royal William Yard where you can dine at the likes of Prezzo, Wildwood and Wagamamas whilst admiring the sunset over the harbour. And fear not,

Living in a seaside town means I am used to the stereotypical beach scenes; seagulls galore, tons of ice cream, a constant smell of freshly cooked doughnuts, and the sound of children screeching as they rush to play Crazy Golf. Sounds from amusement arcades are refreshing and exciting; hearing 2 pence coins drop into penny machines, while younger generations bend their parent’s arms to spend pounds and pounds on claw machines.

When the weather is hot, I can assure you getting to the Island takes an hour... or ten! The train station gets unbearably busy and you literally have to push up to strangers smelling of sweat because of the unbearable heat. Living here means I have no choice but to just wait to be able to visit my own town, whilst thousands of tourists venture from all over.

When people ask where you are from and you say “Barry Island,” their responses are identical; “Where is your Welsh accent? Have you seen Gavin & Stacey?” Barry Island is a must see town and I promise you, you won’t be disappointed.

Serbia.

Bristol

Words by: Bethan Clark

Rows of brightly coloured houses look down upon the Avon gorge proudly spanned by the Bristol suspension bridge. This iconic view only brushes the surface of the amazing sights to be discovered in this vibrant city. For impressive architecture head to the student hub of Park Street. If you fancy a bit of culture, here the Wills memorial building looms over the popular road where you can explore the Cathedral and city museum, or you can wander around a mix of independent and high-street shops, cafes and bars. For the best views over the city brave the walk up Colston tower where you can see as far as the Cotswolds. One of my favourite spots in the city is the Harbourside, just a short walk from Bristol Cathedral. Bustling day and night, the Harbourside is home to awesome eateries such as the Stable, where you can sample some of the South West’s best ciders. During the summer much of the city flocks to this area for Harbourside Festival. Drinking cold ciders while lounging along the River Avon, listening to live bands, finished with the residents crowding onto friend’s boats to watch fireworks,

Up in my neck of the woods, in Bedminster, street artists have taken over the suburbs amazing pieces of work which really brighten up the urban landscape. If you keep your eyes peeled you will spot a huge range

Winchester

Words by: Greg Barradale

If Hogwarts were a city, England’s ancient capital would be it- Winchester of course. History is as inescapable as beauty here. Along the high street, buildings peer over pavements, refusing to stay in line, and between the gorgeous gothic Guildhall at the bottom of town and the castle that sits ruined at the top – where King Arthur’s round table hangs – is the cathedral. People write songs about it, Jane Austen is buried there, and it has got the longest nave in Europe. Come a sunny day the graveyard outside is not filled with people mourning, but relishing the sunshine and enjoying life. Winchester is never a gloomy place.

Come Christmas, Winchester transforms itself. Look up at the sky full of dancing stars, a twinkling carpet laid over the high street. Explore the twists and turns and you will find yourself at the Christmas market, it has got it all. Whether you are after last minute presents, a pleasant evening, or simply want to spend an hour watching people tumble on the ice rink, it is a slice of Christmassy paradise pie.

Winchester is not just a pretty face, either. Stumble through town after dark and you are spoilt for choice with nightlife. From picturesque Black Boy to the rough Riser, you will never have the same night out twice. And do not worry- there is a Spoons. The fun carries on beyond closing time too. Although the solitary nightclub Vodka did lose its music licence recently, it is now back with It might not be the you probably won’t

mind.

Words by: Anwen Williams

Aberaeron is a vibrant seaside town located just on the coast of west Wales. It is a rare example of a Welsh town that was planned from the outset - making everything super accessible, with all you need on your doorstep. This colourful town comes to life in the summer, annually holding a cider festival, a seafood festival, and a carnival. The restaurants and bars serve the best local produce available - boasting fresh seafood and some of the finest real ales and wines.

In terms of nightlife, it has none so you can’t compare it to Cardiff, but it definitely makes up for this in other ways. Whether it is some great food, or some cocktails overlooking the harbour during the sunset - you will feel as though you’ve suddenly been transported abroad.

If you are adventurous and enjoy outdoor activities and watersports, then it is a perfect location. You can surf, kayak, sail, paddle board, row, or fish, and then enjoy some fish and chips on the beach afterwards. You can also walk the coastal path to New Quay where you can watch the dolphins come out to play!

Aberaeron is a place where you can appreciate the good things in life. Sitting around

Cardiff Aberaeron

Words by: Lizzie Harrett

As a Cardiff University student, it is unlikely that you will need much convincing it is a city worth visiting. You will know the city centre and Cathays like the back of your hand, and perhaps have even ventured to Cardiff Bay. But there are many gems worth exploring outside of the student bubble.

Despite being a capital city, Cardiff is incredibly compact. If you find yourself with an afternoon to kill, follow the Taff Trail out of town. The walk will take you through the familiar yet beautiful Bute Park and towards Llandaff, which due to its cathedral is classed as a ‘city within a city.’ Here you can hang out on the village green where Doctor Who’s Amy Pond hailed from, visit one of the five local pubs for some real ale, or simply grab a ridiculously tasty cake from boutique coffee shop, Jaspers. Walk further down the trail and you end up by Castell Coch, a gothic revival castle tucked into the hills, outside of the city boundaries.

If you are more about the water, catch a bus to Cosmeston Lakes, just on the outskirts of the city. The lakes, woodland and meadows here are a wildlife haven. Every comedy fan will be familiar with Gavin and Stacey’s Barry Island, but you may not have visited the lining the

Cornwall

Words by: Penelope Barnes

In some hometowns, the general flow of people appears to be firmly ‘out’. We grow up, get restless and escape to set up home in some far away concrete jungle. We’re drawn in by bright lights and fast-paced lifestyle. Back home, things get quieter and the streets are emptier. There’s no real ‘pull’ back for anyone. Right? Wrong. My home is Cornwall, and there’s serious pull back. Each summer, thousands stream into my county to escape the previously mentioned ‘bright lights’ in favour of soft sunshine. My home is a patchwork of castles, acclaimed restaurants and sandy beaches (yes, it’s possible to leave the office at 5pm and be strolling across one with a beer by half past). We’re spoilt for culture at the Minack Theatre, experience a subtropical paradise in Trebah Gardens, and the food from Rick Stein’s Padstow empire and Jamie’s 15 in Watergate Bay is world-class. Plus, we’re the muse and backdrop of many a BBC drama (Hello, Poldark). Cornwall is often sneered at for being ‘dead end’ or lifeless. But I think anyone with that mind-set hasn’t experienced it as a local. Once you move away from the tourist traps, there’s something about the place that’s truly unique. For example, it’s one of the only places I can think of that, by slapping its name onto something, upgrades it somehow. ‘Wigan potatoes’? No, thank you. ‘Cornish

Brighton

Words by: Bob Wigin

My friends and I all agree that if we didn’t live in Brighton, we would certainly want to go to university here simply because the city is such a nice place to be. Going to the pier is a must if you haven’t been before, however don’t forget that there is so much more to Brighton than the seaside! The Lanes are the most interesting collection of independent shops outside of London, selling anything from ‘vegetarian shoes’ to circuit board cufflinks.

The nightlife here is also a little off-beat. Yes, there is a branch of Pryzm here which you could check off the list of Pryzms you’ve been to. But why do that when you could enjoy a range of different DJs at Patterns or 90’s night at The Haunt or Donuts (a hip-hop and soul night) at The Green Door Store. However, above all else, it is the people who give Brighton its charm. They are interesting, laid-back and want to get to know you. Just the other night, I was amazed at how enthusiastic a barman had been to discuss, with my friend and I, the intricacies of our respective university courses.

Finally, the beach is great to return to in the summer and, even if it is usually too cold to swim in the sea, it is the pebbles, the sea gulls, the beach huts, the promenade which gives our coastline its unique character and makes Brighton unmistakable from anywhere else.

SUBSCRIPTION BOXES

From shaving tools to boxer shorts, our Fashion Editors delve into the world of subscription boxes. Is there really any need to think outside the box?

DESIGN BY: LUCY APRAHAMIAN

In a world of modern multi-blade razors, here’s a successful subscription service creating artisan traditional safety razors. Claiming to serve only the finest shaving tools, The Personal Barber is your one stop shop for the man who likes to spend a little extra time to do a top notch job. Beyond the brush and razor, treats come in the form of a matchbook of alum sticks, two unique soaps and two packs of razor blades. To combat feeling like a fish out of water, wise words come along in the form of helpful guides for new subscribers. After the first box however, following boxes replace the razor and brush with items like cologne or pre-shave oils.

Quality remains paramount and consistent with the products delivered every month, from the Double Edge Safety razor to the Oatmeal Milk & Honey soap. The popularity of this exclusive traditional shaving package has led to shipping being extended to keen customers outside the UK too. Definitely a splurge that won’t be everyone’s cup of tea (or coffee), The Personal Barber is an ideal surprise if you’re looking to transform your mundane chore into a luxury.

For 20% discount for life, quote code SMOOTHSHAVE4LIFE20 or sign up to their newsletter for 15% off your first box. 1 box @ £24.95

I’ll keep it brief. This subscription box is simple, it’s pants! This is not a negative review, it really is just pairs of underwear. Freshen up your drawer with boxers, briefs or trunks from a range of high end brands such as Armani and Ralph Lauren and bet your bottom dollar that your underwear will always be on trend.

For £17.99 per month or £23.99 for a premium service or £172.99 for a year (£14.42 per pair), Briefd has your bare necessities covered. #DecencyDelivered

game of chance? Well Not Another Bill box is an ideal solution if you’ve run out of creative present ideas or succumbed to indecisiveness. Expect the unexpected is an apt warning for those interested. Unlike other subscription services, Not Another Bill prides itself on their one product or theme per box rule so prepare to receive a single albeit exclusive item, from noteworthy designers and brands.

While the packaging of the box may be intricately curated and stunning enough to win you Insta likes, you could be unboxing an alligator letter opener or a £75 sunglasses case – so don’t judge this book by its cover. Although when you sign up, personal preferences are noted and you’re offered the option to pick the first month’s present from their stock of past boxes, or just be surprised.

Whether it’s a gem for your desk or the kitchen, an accessory for your garden or your neck, this is a service that can easily be a hit or a miss. The personalized letter and intimate experience hence is more viable as a oneoff gifting option rather than a monthly subscription. Unless, you’re a risk taker who enjoys collectibles and a harmless gamble.

1 box @ £24

Possibly one of the most hyped subscription boxes for the beauty addict, Birchbox products allows you to explore the current trends and launches without the awkward small talk at Sephora. At an affordable price point, the package promises a mix of full and travel sized luxury goodies such as serums and eyeliners. From magazine editors handpicking their top 5 current favourites to trusted gems added by trending bloggers and beauty gurus, the box ensures a good balance between limited edition and sold out products. Collaborations with the likes of Harper’s Bazaar, Stila and Liz Earle have only guaranteed versatility and increased the value of the box’s contents. To make the view as good as the tried and true, the awe-inspiring box designs are created by brands such as Rifle Paper Co. and Skinny Dip.

With a bonus loyalty scheme, referral scheme and sneak preview put in place, customers are treated more like a community than a transaction. A timetested professional in the game of subscription boxes, Birchbox makes for a cheap and cheerful present just as it qualifies for a treat yo’self monthly surprise.

1 box @ £12.95

with Cult Beauty, a company celebrated for providing women with advice and a-list secrets on cosmetics, makeup and skincare to provide you with a service that delivers the best products straight to your door. So, how does it work? It’s pretty exclusive. Head over to https://www.cultbeauty.co.uk/competitions/cultbeauty-box-caroline-hirons, enter your details and you’ll be added to a waitlist. This will guarantee that you’ll be first to hear when it’s available to purchase. Each box contains 6 to 8 full size products, from cleansers to toners, moisturises and serums handpicked by Caroline. Although this service is pricey, with the latest RRP of the box costing £175.00, the content value is worth £274.00, saving you just short of £100. It may not be cheap but its definitely a a generous discount. Your bank account may be a little sore but you’ll be thanking yourself later when your glowing skin makes you feel a million dollars.

LOOK ON OUR QUENCH FACEBOOK PAGE FOR DETAILS OF HOW TO ENTER OUR EXCLUSIVE COMPETITION

Bourgeois On A Budget

Words, design and illustration by: Stephany Damyaova

I came to university prepared for the fact that I would need to fit into a certain budget, but I did not come prepared for the lack of parents to remind me that spending two thirds of that budget on clothes is not a good idea. Mom and Dad were a fail-safe for shopping sprees, but living alone in uni, I realised I have absolutely no self-control or budgeting skills and should not be left to handle my finances alone.

However, I feel like the moment comes in every student’s life when you realise ‘Oh, if I spend one more quid on something I don’t need, I’m going to have to eat that for the rest of the month’ and then you start to actually think about how you can cut down on all the reckless spending. Don’t get me wrong, budgeting is a drag, I’m not going to try and convince you otherwise, but it’s also opened my eyes to this whole new beautiful world of thrifting, eBay and charity shops and the priceless feeling of finding a really good bargain. I’ve had some time to explore shopping on a budget in my short time in Cardiff, so I’m going to share my experience with you and hopefully help you save some money.

Ebay is the Capricornia of everything slightly used, but not damaged. It’s a safe way to shop since it offers refunds if you don’t receive your items or are not happy with the condition they arrive in. If you’re looking for clothes just type in the kind of garment and size you need and then look through the results that match your search. What I personally like to do is search for brands rather than items – more often than not there are things that people used once and are now trying to get rid of on a way lower price than the one in the retailer’s original stores.

If you enjoy online shopping, applications such as Depop and Shpock can also prove to be useful. Shpock offers a local online shop where items are separated by place rather than type and Depop is a platform where people open up their own online stores and sell their items. They’re all similar in their purpose, but have different articles, so keeping an eye on as many of them as possible is always a plus.

If you’re not a fan of online shopping, Cardiff offers an abundance of places where you can buy good quality items at low prices. Charity shops are situated basically around every corner, but there are places such as Albany Road, Cowbridge Road and the city centre where there are plenty of bargains to be found in close proximity, which makes for a great shopping spree. Queen’s Arcade houses my favourite one – the Cancer Research store - a ‘boutique’ charity shop, which offers a selection of the best items donated to the charity. The prices, however, still range between £5 and £10 where you can often find brands such as Next, Topshop and H&M among many others.

Another place I’d recommend checking out is TKMaxx – an outlet for reduced items that has a wide variety of items ranging from shoes to homeware and even stationery. Designer bags and perfumes greet you from the entrance and although they might seem pricey, they usually cost half of their original retail price. The further in you go, the more reduced items you find. It’s a great place to buy home accessories such as cushions and candleholders and it doesn’t disappoint in quality either.

So, I’ve offered my advice and now all that’s left for me to do is wish you good luck and safe travels through the land of thrifting. It’s glorious once you get into it, but beware, spending £20 on a brand new top is going to feel like a rip off once you’ve gotten your hands on some good bargains.

As the days shorten and the trees turn brown, clean lines and simple block colours are the perfect fit for crisp autumn afternoons.

Clothes modelled by KRUM

DJERMANOV, ADRIANA PANOVA , and PRERANA NANDAMURI . Shot exclusively for Quench magazine by JASPER WILKINS in Bute Park, Cardiff, with assistance from GEORGE CAULTON.

PEACOCKS MENS GREY DOUBLE

BREASTED WOOL MIX JACKET , £60

ZARA BLACK SWEATER , £30

MOSS BROS LONDON WHITE SHIRT , £25

CITIZEN ECO DRIVE WATCH , £150

H&M HAT , £15

CASHMERE & WOOL PONCHO , £100

MANGO BAG , £30

MANGO SKINNY JEANS , £40

ARMANI JEANS RAIN BOOTS , £120

PRIMARK RED SCARF , £4

PRI MARK BLACK TRENCHCOAT , £12

ATMOS PHERE WHITE TOP , £6

ZARA WOME N’S BLACK SKINNY JEANS , £20

PRIMARK BOOTS , £10

ADRIANA (LEFT): LIU JO BLACK COAT , £150

ARMANI JEANS RAIN BOOTS, £120

KRUM (CENTRE): H&M CARDIGAN , £25

RIVER ISLAND CAMEL COAT , £80

ZARA SCARF, £15

SELECTED HOMME BOOTS , £100

PRERANA (RIGHT): M&S BLACK SCARF, £7

ZARA QUILTED JACKET, £50

(ALL OTHER ITEMS PREVIOUSLY LISTED)

shot by @ jasper_photography

Is Fashion Walking The Green Mile?

WORDS BY NADINE PINNOCK

DESIGN BY SARAH FOSTER

In recent years, we as consumers have slowly opened our eyes to the impact fast fashion has on our planet. Falling just behind the oil corporations, the fashion industry is the second largest polluter in the world. The Rana Plaza collapse of 2013 - in which a structurally unsound garment factory fell killing 1,129 people – shocked enough of us to start questioning the ethics behind our cheap clothes. The dark side of fashion has been exposed, however we no longer know what to buy, where from and if there really is a sustainable way out. With our voices and our money we can demand better from the fashion industry.

Our favourite fashion icons can be seen protesting for sustainably manufactured clothing. A scroll through Emma Watson’s Instagram depicts stunning, ethically made looks on the red carpet – such as a Calvin Klein collaboration with Ecoage, made from organic cotton and recycled plastic. Watson’s Harry Potter co-star Evanna Lynch is a vegan activist who proudly showcases her quirky style on her social media. She models heels and boots by Brighton-based shoe brand ‘Beyond Skin’ to prove that we don’t need leather to have quality. Evanna believes “you can be as fashionable as you are compassionate”.

Gradually, more celebrities are helping to spread the sustainable fashion message. That’s not to mention our new style moguls: Bloggers. Internet influencers like Jen Brownlie (The Tartan Brunette), YouTuber Kristen Leo and Greta Eagan (Fashion Me Green) are teaching us how to look good and feel better about where we get our clothes from.

If you’re ready to make the right choices for fashion, ethical brands are in abundance. ‘Matt and Nat’ will supply you with uniquely designed vegan bags and accessories. If you are slowly easing out of fast fashion’s grip, sift through H&M’s Conscious collection and ASOS Green Room, where our favourite high street brands show their sustainable side (not to mention they’re a little kinder to our student budgets)!

“Instead of a weekly Primark haul, invest in a quality piece once a month that you can keep wearing for years.”

Budgeting is easier than ever if you want to shop ethically. If you can’t splurge on organic Fairtrade clothing, shop second hand. Putting in a little more time to hunt through a charity shop or vintage market can save you a fortune. For an easier shopping experience, the Depop app is ideal for vintage and high fashion finds- plus you can easily sell and recycle your own unworn pieces. Etsy is a goldmine for unique, handmade clothing and accessories and you get to support real people and small local businesses. The easiest, fastest and cheapest change you can make to be a more ethical consumer is to just buy less. Instead of a weekly Primark haul, invest in a quality piece once a month that you can keep wearing for years.

Ethical and sustainable fashion does have the potential to be a long lasting, real solution to the problems fast fashion has caused. But we need to be pro-active. Educating ourselves is essential. Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion by Elizabeth Cline, The Sustainable Fashion Handbook by Sandy Black, and To Die For by Lucy Siegle are recommended reads for the interested souls. Andrew Morgan’s 2015 documentary The True Cost encapsulates the world behind our cheap clothes. Fashion Revolution is a social media movement that asks us to challenge the huge fast fashion tycoons, and ask them ‘Who Made Our Clothes?’. We can demand transparency from brands through the power of social media, but most importantly, with our money, and what we choose to buy. We can sustain fashion.

CARDIFF FASHION WEEK: CARDIFF FASHION WEEK:

In conversation with Jamie Perry, Love Your Clothes Campaign Manager

Did you know clothing waste is the 5th largest polluter across the UK? Here your fashion editors are in conversation with Jamie Perry, Love Your Clothes Campaign Manager, to investigate the issue of fashion sustainability from an insider’s perspective.

Tell us a bit about what Love Your Clothes (LYC) is and what your aims are as a charitable campaign.

Love Your Clothes is a campaign to influence and change the way consumers think, buy and dispose clothing. It’s a campaign run by Wrap that was launched about two years ago. 350,000 tonnes of unwanted clothing get put directly in the bin. To give you the scale of that, 100 black bins worth of clothes gets discarded into landfill every 90 seconds. So LYC aims to reduce environmental impact by encouraging consumers to do 3 things; firstly buying smarter, by not buying unnecessarily and buying clothes that last longer and are easier to care for. Secondly, extend the life of clothing, such as washing and laundering them properly, sharing with others and buying secondhand. Lastly, LYC aims to stop putting any clothing or textile in the bin whatsoever. People assume no one wants their socks, towels or batman costume and so it all goes in the bin.

clothing is an area we’re getting more involved with. We work with 60% of the UK retail market such as Tesco, John Lewis, M&S, Next and Primark just recently signed up. We’re looking to collaborate with brands from all sectors to promote conscious buying, mindfulness and sustainability in fashion.

Are we in a consumer culture that promotes re-purchasing rather than repairing? How do you see consumerism affecting youth today, in comparison to your childhood?

As consumerism increases and the cost of clothing decreases, it has had a dramatic effect on clothing repair. When I look at the tonnes of clothes that have been discarded, a lot of those clothes are in fantastic condition and just have a minor repair to be made. To try and combat this problem, we are working to reignite and reintroduce these skills with normal people across the UK. We’ve set up a network of super crafters across the UK with crafting businesses in every town where people can go and learn the skills and promote learning these skills through free workshops.

We’re the millennials. We are in the digital and social media age. What words of advice would you give us to encourage sustainability in fashion?

The millennials are already taking positive steps without realising it. There’s been a recent growth in youth DIY trends with patches and pins, and something this simple too aids in extending the life of a product.

Love Your Clothes’ Top Tips Buy Smarter: Purchase clothes that last longer and are easier to care for.

Extend Your Clothings’ life: Wash and launder properly!

And this year you’ve joined forces with Cardiff Fashion Week – what inspired this partnership?

We’ve done this successfully before at Brighton Fashion Week, promoting and teaching people how to get the best use of their clothes. Cardiff is very promising so of course we wanted to expand and do the same here. People interested in fashion are generally just interested in clothing so we target that audience, trying to encourage thinking about fashion sustainability and help develop compassion about clothing. Clothing waste is a massive issue and a lot of it is contributed by low production costs. It’s a vicious cycle of buying and throwing.

Besides how to get the maximum use out of a product, we also subconsciously forget about who is part of the production. Very often clothing is manufactured in less developing nations by underpaid labourers.

Yes definitely. As a charity, the social impact of

To meet the demands of your generation and keep up with the digital era, we’ve produced 50+ short films free to watch on our website, that encourage a repairing culture. Our how-to guides teach the simplest of skills useful to students like you. From getting rid of those nasty red wine or chocolate stains or just simply stitching a button, these are skills that you may not have developed at your family home. Lastly I’d advise investing in quality material that may cost slightly more, but will surely last for years to come, possibly becoming a family heirloom!

For more info: Loveyourclothes.org.uk

Stop Putting Clothes and Textiles in the Bin - Donate!

THE SOUND OF CINEMA

HELLO FILM SCORES, MY OLD

WORDS BY: ISOBEL ROACH

DESIGN BY: SADIA PINEDA HAMEED

Imagine Darth Vader stepping out onto the coolly reflective black floors of the Death Star without the sound of John Williams’ universally recognised theme. ‘The Imperial March’ makes the scene. It builds the tension, the growing sense of fear, his grandiose nature. It makes Vader.... Vader. Imagine seeing the first signs of a monstrous shark gliding through the water, silently and seamlessly, in Spielberg’s Jaws. Imagine it without John Williams’ nail-biting theme. Would you still be on the edge of your seat? Would you be able to slow your beating heart that betrays you in its anticipation? You wouldn’t. Because the theme and the movie are synonymous. One and the same.

Movie themes, can be the most effective form of marketing in the world. We are programmed to recognise them instantly and, like code filtering through a super computer, we think of the films they come from. From the dawn of cinema in the 1920s, music has been an integral part of the cinema experience. Before the advent of ‘the talkie’ in 1927, live music was used to help an audience make sense of the film. When captions and facial expressions weren’t enough, old Hollywood could always count on music to bring life and understanding to their creations. They told the audience when to laugh, when to cry and when to sigh at a grand romantic gesture. Fast forward nearly a hundred years and music and cinema still have a wonderful, beautiful and inseparable relationship.

Even amongst the most cinema-sceptical, there are many themes that are universally instantly recognisable. ‘Hedwig’s Theme’ from Harry Potter, for instance, with its sweeping orchestral sound is a timeless favourite; Indiana Jones’ adventurous, upbeat theme from Raiders of The Lost Ark; the wondrous, beautiful ‘Binary Sunset’ theme that serenades Luke Skywalker as he dreams of another life off Tatooine - all are timeless classics. You may know these themes, but what you might not know is that they’re all creations of John Williams. Williams is also responsible for scoring ET, Jurassic Park and of course, Jaws. These scores focused on creating emotional, haunting, orchestral accompaniment to images on screen, many of which have become iconic as a result of their memorable scores.

Williams is not the only prolific composer capable of creating timeless themes. John Barry brought us Bond as we know it. The seductive, suave and dangerous music of Goldfinger illustrated 007 as a sophisticated yet deadly spy. It painted the palm trees of Miami, the martinis, the suits, the golden girl. This is rich, orchestral film scoring at its best.

Composers are still highly influenced by these scoring greats today. Most recently, Michael Giacchino’s work on the new Star Trek franchise has been praised for its quality and homage to the original Star Trek themes created by Jerry Goldsmith. Indeed many consider

him to be taking the mantel from such highly regarded composers as Wiliams and Goldsmith.

As the movie industry entered the age of technology, film scores evolved to reflect new tastes and developments. Another much loved score emerged from this period. Blade Runner’s themes are ambient, synth-based and more contemporary. Composed by artist Vangelis, the score brought alive Blade Runner’s dystopian strangeness. Director and composer John Carpenter also turned to technology for his scores for Halloween and The Fog. A synth-created heartbeat sound pulses through Halloween, building a sense of terror. By looking to pop, prog and synth based music these composers were able to evoke fear and wonder whilst also catering to popular tastes, making the scores instant hits.

Wonderful scores have still continued to emerge in the 21st century. Clint Mansell’s ‘Lux Aeterna’ from Requiem for a Dream is so recognisable and reused that it is perhaps even more popular than the movie itself. Composer Hans Zimmer is responsible for the popular scores to 2009’s Sherlock Holmes and The Dark Knight trilogy, both of which are highly thought of. In this age of big-money blockbusters, well known, prolific composers like Zimmer can bring more people to the cinema because of their bankability. In a time where Hollywood studios churn out hit after hit, each with a similar loud, self-important sound, it can seem as though the age of the unique film score has passed. This, however, is not the case. Amidst the booming blockbuster themes, certain unusual and unique scores shine through. Most recently, Cliff Martinez’s Neon Demon score captured the attention of its viewers with its sparse, electronic sound, as did Disasterpiece’s score for the 2014 horror film It Follows. A captivating score can bring attention to films that fall on the indie spectrum, as these composers have proven.

Throughout the history of cinema, film composers have understood the fundamental need to create a symbiotic relationship between sound and image so that their theme and the director’s vision are inseparable in the viewer’s mind. Whether it be sinister, unnerving music for a horror movie, a sweeping orchestral theme for an emotional drama or an ambient electronic sound for a sci-fi, music can give a movie its genre, its substance and even its popularity. It builds the emotion, the feeling. It gives the film a heart.

A good film score will make you feel excited when something important is happening, make you cry when tragedy strikes, make your spine tingle during a moment of utter horror. A film must reach out to its audience, it needs to make them personally invested in what’s happening on screen. A well composed score can do just that - it can enhance a film and make it something special.

EDITORS’ FILM SCORE PICK

SADIA PINEDA HAMEED: LA PLANETE SAUVAGE (1973), COMPOSER ALAIN GORAGUER

OLIVER LEIGH: IN BRUGES (2008), COMPOSER: CARTER BURWELL

NAOMI DAVIDSON: INCEPTION (2010), COMPOSER: HANS ZIMMER

Humble Beginnings: CULT FILMS THAT INITIALLY BOMBED

DESIGN BY: SADIA PINEDA HAMEED

CITIZEN KANE (1941)

‘You don’t know what it feels like when the whole audience doesn’t want you,’ says Citizen Kane’s wife Susan after being forced into opera singing by her husband. In reply, Orson Welles’ most famous character says something that goes beyond the context of the film and into the world of reality, stating ‘that’s when you have to fight them.’ While critics had positive reactions to what is now considered ‘the greatest American film’ upon its release in 1941, it seemed like the rest of the world ‘didn’t want’ Citizen Kane. Whilst it’s contrived to think that a film’s income is an indicator of its artistic success, it still must be noted that Citizen Kane lost RKO Pictures $160,000, and before the film was even released there was a chance of its prints being burnt.

The reasons for this lack of success, that would be unexpected to a modern audience, are, unfortunately, primarily due to political reasons rather than artistic. Kane’s character takes inspiration from the life of William Randolph Hearst, whom Roger Ebert describes as ‘Ted Turner, Rupert Murdoch, and Bill Gates rolled up into an enigma with emptiness at the centre.’ Due to Hearst’s unfavourable representation, the right-wing public figure made sure any mention of Citizen Kane was banned from all thirty of the major newspapers he owned. Clearly, this film was limited by its lack of publicity rather than its lack of integrity, with Welles himself facing hostility from the public due to his un-heard of deal with RKO Pictures that allowed the actor to direct himself and hold most artistic control of the film.

However, with time audiences were able to forget about the political context surrounding the film and instead explore the innovative visual moments and story. Citizen Kane is widely known as one of the greatest films to have been made because of cinematographer Gregg Toland’s experimentation with deep-focus photography, the visible ceilings, Welles’ performance-changing make-up, and the fact that Rosebud did ‘turn out to be a very simple thing’, and that’s what makes it so special.

Sinead McCausland

THE THING (1982)

The Thing (1982) is now considered one of the greatest horror films ever to grace the big screen, and in my personal opinion, managed to strike a perfect blend between suspense and gore. It even starred Kurt Russell as lead protagonist which only furthered my love for the film. However, upon release it was critically slated and received poor reviews, with the makeup special effects simultaneously praised yet also criticised for being excessive and repulsive.

Various film critics slated the film for having what they considered ‘illogical plot elements’ and, again, excessive special effects culminating in what film critics Roger Ebert called a ‘barfbag movie’. The Thing also faced tough competition as it was released at the same time as Steven Spielberg’s E.T. which provided more of an optimistic version of events with regards to alien encounters. However over time, film critics begun to reappraise the film, with one critic noting that ‘the true beauty of The Thing is that it remains a challenging mystery throughout its 109 minute runtime, as was so effectively handled in Alien’.

Oliver Leigh

BLADE RUNNER (1982)

Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner invites the viewer into a sumptuous noir science fiction vision. Coming during Harrison Ford’s colossal early 80’s box-office success with Star Wars and Indiana Jones, the atmospheric, (and at times slow), thriller failed to fulfil audience’s expectations of another blockbuster. Opening against E.T. did nothing to help its chances; Blade Runner’s opening weekend take in June 1982 was only $6.5 million. Instead, the murky vision of a future plagued by crime and indistinct morality found its cult following upon its release on VHS and DVD. A refinement of Ridley Scott’s vision followed, with a Director’s Cut and definitive Final Cut making clearer all the reasons it’s now regarded a sci-fi classic.

The ambitious realisation of a future starkly contrasted against many other idealistic visions of things to come. Scott’s Los Angeles of 2019 is at once neon, derelict, rainy, technological, smoky, seedy, industrial – futuristic but indisputably a projection of our world, somehow real. Vangelis’ ethereal but undoubtedly 80’s soundtrack underpins and accents every moment of gloom and every peak of poignancy. And of course, the plot, at its peak, delivers poignancy and complexity that reveals new layers no matter how many times it’s pored over. Ford’s brooding detective Rick Deckard must hunt down a band of rogue replicants – human machines with implanted memories and artificially lowered lifespans. As Deckard closes in on his replicant prey, their humanity is slowly but sharply brought into focus.

This is the heart of Blade Runner’s lasting appeal. Not solely the style, or renewed relevance of Artificial Intelligence, but the enduring questions it asks of our morality, and humanity.

Greg Barradale

FIGHT CLUB (1999)

Today, Fight Club is regarded as a modern-day cult classic and one of David Fincher’s most successful films. However, its box office release in October 1999 reflects a far different critical reception. With a budget of $63 million, the film grossed $100.9 million in theatres worldwide, failing to meet the studio’s expectations. Fight Club was then reviewed by the British Board of Film Classification for its release in the UK, and had two scenes removed for being too violent. The film was then assigned an 18 certificate, limiting the release to adult-only audiences. Marketing executives at 20th Century Fox were faced with barriers, considering it to be primarily aimed at male audiences because of its violence and they assumed that not even Pitt would attract female film-goers. However, the film later found critical and commercial success with its DVD release selling more than 6 million copies, generating a $10 million profit for the studio.

Many attributed Fight Club’s initial failure to its portrayal of violence, sparking concerns it would incite copycat behaviour. Janet Maslin of The New York Times praised the film, writing it carried a message of ‘contemporary manhood’, and that, if not watched closely, the film could be misconstrued as an endorsement of violence. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times also stated that ‘seeing it over the course of a week, [he] admired its skill even more, and its thought even less’, proving that the film needed to be examined more closely in order to have its message fully understood.

Kelsey Rees

The reign of TV period dramas

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BY: ALANNAH WILLIAMS DESIGN BY: MARIA COLLINS

There has never been a time in which TV period drama has been so fervent in its appeal to the masses, so aptly exemplified by two rival shows battling it out to win over primetime Sunday night audiences. At present, ITV’s shiny new Victoria seems to have the edge over the dashing Cap’n Ross Poldark of the BBC, even despite the likely outcome of Aidan Turner’s chiselled torso making an appearance or two. Of course, everyone remembers that iconic shot of Turner shirtless and in mid-scythe. It blew up like a storm and ended up becoming the talked about thing for a short while, thus bringing the BBC’s brand new addition to the costume drama genre to the forefront of British television early last year.

Yet, with series two of Poldark now airing in line with ITV’s Victoria, competition is becoming ever more common. In a television landscape that is dominated by historical drama, we viewers never fail to switch on in our droves. In 2016 alone, TV audiences have been given the likes of Versailles, War and Peace, Peaky Blinders, The Living and the Dead and endless more. That’s not to forget the grandfather of them all, the mighty Downton Abbey, which aired its final episode last December. Not one of these cases demonstrated any inch of failure in continually achieving major appeal and success.

‘ We can be void of any attachment or responsibility and divulge head-first in a highly fabricated era without much guilt.’

But exactly why are we so enamoured with period drama in this day and age? One would think that current society speaks immense inspiration for fictionalised or semi-documentary storytelling. The problem is, however, that with our current lives comes some gritty realities. Themes like

violence, addiction or struggles with sexuality don’t often make an appearance in period drama and simply have no place in the comfortableness of times-gone-by. It begs the question as to whether television executives are using our notion of simpler times as a safety net for commissioning new drama which is less likely to offend. Ask anyone in the generation above us and they will probably recall aspects of their childhood television experience as being forced to watch the trials and tribulations of the residents of Belgravia in Upstairs Downstairs, or enduring infinite Austen remakes, bonnets and waistcoats galore. The 70s were awash with costume drama, but not like we know it today. Nowadays it’s safe to say that the genre is adapting to keep up with its modernised, desensitised and mainstream audience.

For instance, Versailles’ unbridled sex scenes (which only received a handful of complaints) are unquestionably drifting from the safeness of traditional costume drama. Nevertheless, all is still situated in a time unfamiliar to us. We can be void of any attachment or responsibility and divulge head-first in a highly fabricated era without much guilt.

Our love affair with costume drama is much more complex than simple escapism from the pessimism of modern life. It certainly says something about the nation’s psyche in that we repeatedly prefer to look to the past rather than the future for entertainment. Is it the absence of difference – of ethnicity, for example - that some people find consoling? Or is it the more traditional gender roles we find attractive or is it just down to its fundamental ‘Britishness’? So many factors are at play here, yet one thing is certain: historical television has become entrenched in our entertainment culture and is going nowhere anytime soon.

WAR, WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR?

Alexander and Caspar take aim at historical and futuristic shooters

BATTLEFIELD 1 INFINITE WARFARE

WORDS BY: ALEXANDER JONES

I don’t know why this even requires justification. Deep down, buried beneath the countless generic modern-day shooters, we all know that the classic World War setting can’t be beaten.

It’s more brutal, it’s much more intense, nobody has double-jump or aim-assist. Drop those infra-red scopes you take for granted and use your damn iron sights, noob. Stop relying on your UAV and actually evaluate the beautifully made maps for your next prey. Modern day shooters are becoming the new cliché so much so that Call of Duty is desperately crawling into sci-fi – no, you will never be as good as Halo, so give up.

It’s Battlefield who will be your saviour. They will grace you with the barbaric onslaught of World War One. Not Two, but One. Not only have they gone back to more classic FPS roots, but they’ve taken it a step further and brought us all to a fresh battlefield (hah?) untouched by Triple-A companies. Now we can all experience the fear of climbing out and over the trench into no man’s land; gas mask on, rifle in hand, trench foot slowing deteriorating your health bar (hopefully not). Bomber planes zip overhead, tanks (that look like dumpsters- powerful dumpsters) trawl over the corpses of the fallen, horses heroically take the vanguard and Behemoths crash from the sky. Oh wow, your four-v-four on a miniscule map with embarrassingly bad respawns sounds REALLY fun. Get real.

The modern day shooter died in 2009 with Modern Warfare 2. There’s no point dragging out its excruciating death any longer. Don’t put yourself through any more pain, Captain Price isn’t here to save you any more, only Battlefield can help you. Do yourself a favour a grab yourself a copy of Battlefield 1, not Infinite Warfare (seriously?).

“NOW WE CAN ALL THE FEAR OF CLIMBING OUT AND OVER THE TRENCH INTO NO MAN’S LAND; GAS MASK ON, RIFLE IN HAND, TRENCH FOOT SLOWLY DETERIORATING YOUR HEALTH BAR.”

WORDS BY: CASPAR JAYASEKERA

Admittedly, when I agreed to write in defence of futuristic shooters, I’d not realised my colleague would be so fervent in his argument. Personally, I think games like Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare get a bad rep from people who are fundamentally against change, but I’m not naming any names...

In a time when opinions can be broadcast at the click of the button, it’s a real shame to see that so many people are refusing to develop their own point of view. I’m not naive. I know that enjoying Infinite Warfare makes me a minority, but I firmly believe that the echo chamber has struck again and people are just regurgitating what the last guy said. You’re nostalgic for the days when you’d cheekily play World War 2 shooters that couldn’t legally be sold to you, we get it.

“I’M NOT NAIVE. I KNOW THAT ENJOYING INFINITE WARFARE MAKES ME A MINORITY, BUT I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT THE ECHO CHAMBER HAS STRUCK AGAIN AND PEOPLE ARE JUST REGURGITATING WHAT THE LAST GUY SAID.”

As for the gameplay, I’m not buying what you’re selling. Saying it’s more brutal and intense is a false claim if you back it up by saying ‘Oh, World War 1 was really brutal and intense’. Where you’re shooting someone doesn’t make a difference; there’s enough blood for every century. Going toe to toe with a robot or a laser gun-toting killstreak merchant is especially a moot point when you think about the success of Destiny, Star Wars Battlefront or Titanfall, so clearly the real issue is that you’re not good enough to handle the new COD. If you can’t meet the pace and adapt your playstyle for a harder game, then it’s not the game’s fault you can’t use a jetpack to your advantage, is it?

But who am I to criticise people for buying the same old Word War shooter? If you want to kill Nazis over and over with better graphics, be my guest, but I’ll stick to having some variety in my games.

ALL ABOARD THE HYPE TRAIN. NEXT STOP, DISAPPOINTMENT.

IN A GAMING INDUSTRY WHERE EXPECTATIONS ARE RARELY MET AND DEVELOPERS WRESTLE WITH IMPENDING DEADLINES, OLIVER LEIGH QUESTIONS WHETHER THE BLAME LIES WITH COMPANIES OR THE CONSUMER.

ART

BY:

BY: OLIVER LEIGH

ELIS DOYLE

The recent release of indie developer Hello Games’ No Man’s Sky, an immersive space exploration sandbox set in a near infinite universe has been met with a mixed response from the gaming community. The game’s critical response has been divisive, with a majority of consumers feeling as though they have been misled as to what was included in the game experience. Whilst this has not been the first instance of consumer disappointment and certainly will not be the last, it’s the latest chapter in an ongoing discourse about the notion of hype; a discourse that is rising in temperature after No Man’s Sky, but can be extended to many other games.

When No Man’s Sky first debuted at the VGX awards in 2013, with a relatively small trailer consisting of what we now know was scripted gameplay. Gorgeously rendered alien planets inhabited by various creatures and performing combative roles in a near infinite universe was enough for an immediate praised as a potential game of the year. The media descended into a frenzy of excitement and abandoned their caution to the wind. Articles that followed the VGX Awards from Kotaku and GameRant titled ‘Wow. No Man’s Sky Just Stole the Show at the VGX’ and ‘No Man’s Sky’ is Most Exciting Reveal of Spike VGX’ speak volumes about the nature of the conversation.

Although the excitement generated by the release of No Man’s Sky and the subsequent positive reviews were perfectly acceptable, the lack of scepticism nearer the games release was a cause for concern. Both Hello Games and the gaming media seemed compliant to board the ‘run-away hype train’, and for seemingly good reason. Clicks for online gaming media sites equal cash, while simultaneously the unforeseeable exposure of the Indie developer to the world provided a most welcome boost for their reputation. As the hype grew, any scepticism that was thrust upon it was quickly quashed by many of the games more zealous fans, with negativity from the consumer being something gaming media outlets don’t wish to eliminate themselves. The fire was also shamelessly stoked by Managing Director Sean

Murray who was prone to giving misleading or false facts as to what to expect from the game, facts which could have been chased and verified by the gaming media.

To a large extent the media and developers have themselves to blame for generating unreachable levels of expectation. Despite this, the expectation of what No Man’s Sky actually could be was somewhat fictionalised by the waiting consumer. Sean Murray, whilst not explicitly stating that there was player versus player functionality in the game, neither explicitly stated that there wasn’t, leading people to anticipate the former.

Inevitably, imaginations ran wild. Despite skepticism surrounding the game at a minimum, consumers aren’t mindless sheep and don’t need the gaming media to inform their decisions. Previous failures in the face of the fervour surrounding them should have been lessons of the past from which the public should learn. High profile examples could include Destiny and Star Wars Battlefront’s lack of content on launch day that could only be rectified with expensive DLC or Metal Gear Solid 5 gameplay with a chapter of the game completely missing.

These cases seem to be have been ignored by a seemingly, willfully ignorant audience who over three years grew to believe an indie game developer of 15 people could accomplish more than generate a literal universe on a disc. The wording may appear harsh but after so many releases by high profile game developers and the subsequent disappointment that follows, the consumer must also wonder what part we play in fueling the fire that burns us. The one way in which all the aforementioned titles are attempting to reclaim predicted glory is through the implementation of paid DLC. Unsurprisingly, Sean Murray is boarding the very same train in order to compensate for No Man’s Sky guilty to me.

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Abzû

Giant Squid

Available on PS4 and PC

Abzû is essentially a diving simulator with an endless number of fish, and a huge aquarium to house everything in. I use the term ‘aquarium’ as Abzû creates the immense illusion of total underwater freedom, but it yanks at your flippers with disappointing invisible walls if you stray too far from the linear path. The ocean is a beautiful and mysterious place so it’s upsetting when all of the exploratory parts of the game are sectioned into little cubes of water, as if you were swimming around a really, really good looking Windows screensaver. Despite the above criticisms, Abzû is overflowing with jaw-dropping moments and it can proudly be considered as the spiritual successor to Journey. Though the big question is: does it top it?

As a game, the answer is an arguable no. The gameplay consists of swimming, faster swimming and getting slowly pushed by the current. For those that find swimming too difficult, there’s the option of latching on to sea creatures and letting them do the work. Granted, Journey never offered much in gameplay either, but you could still defy gravity with a mystic scarf. Making the scarf longer was one of the motivations for exploration, as being able to fly for longer had a direct positive correlation to how majestic your experience could get. It also presented the player with something to lose when the sinister antagonists appeared. Having your scarf get shredded meant that: one, you looked less cool and two, you lost all of your flying powers. Unfortunately there is no real sense of threat because

the diver is invincible and refuses to don any fashionable accessories. There’s no real reason to explore, except to indulge the player’s curiosity. Adding further insult to injury is that it feels overwhelmingly lonely without Journey’s anonymous multiplayer mechanic and social creatures. The creatures in Abzû pretentiously ignore you if you try to socialise with them.

“IT’S THE TYPE OF GAME WHERE YOU SHOULD AVOID ALL SOCIAL CONTACT, TURN OFF THE LIGHTS AND WATCH YOUR ROO MAGICALLY TRANSFORM INTO AN ENSEMBLE OF COLOUR.”

If you consider Abzû more like an experience, then the answer to the big question is a hesitant maybe. Not everyone likes sand. It’s coarse and irritating and it gets everywhere. Obscure film quotes and orcaward sea puns aside, Abzû fabricates a visually stunning underwater paradise. Upon completing it, I wanted nothing more than to strip down to my speedos and dive straight into the nearest sea. It’s the type of game where you should avoid all social contact, turn off the lights and

watch your room magically transform into a wonderful ensemble of colour. Headphones are an absolute necessity to truly appreciate the masterpieces composed by Austin Wintory, who also composed Journey. Players can optionally make Abzû an educational voyage too if they choose to find out the name of every creature in the game by meditating on top of special statues. The story is as ominous as its predecessor’s, favouring cryptic wall murals over stated narration. There’s a deep, overarching theme but one that the player needs to piece together themselves. Overall, it’s a slower paced and shorter ‘sequel’ to Journey, though playing it made me wish that I hadn’t played Journey first. The two share so many features that I’m surprised they didn’t name the game Déjà Abzû.

If you never got to play Journey then I would wholeheartedly recommend Abzû, especially if you’re an avid fan of the sea. If you have played Journey, then maybe wait for a price reduction as Abzû is still a pretty magical piece of digital art. La fin.

Saman Izadyar @SamanIzadyar

Breath-taking visuals, that make gorgeous use of vibrant colours

Fantastic, goosebump inducing score

Relaxing atmosphere, chilled as the ocean

Too close to Journey , lack of originality

Limited Gameplay, Psuedo-Freedom Overall: 7.5/10 in brief:

November/Tachwedd

Brian Fallon & The Crowes 18/11/16, £22.50 ADV

FM 18/11/16, £18 ADV

Jack Garratt

16/11/16 - SOLD OUT/ WEDI GWERTHU ALLAN

Pierce The Veil

25/11/16, £20 ADV

Frank Turner

26/11/16 - SOLD OUT/ WEDI GWERTHU ALLAN

Walking On Cars

28/11/16, £13.50 ADV

December/Rhagfyr

Clutch 17/12/16, £20 ADV

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Treatment Presents: Dusky live 10/02/17, from £15 ADV

Sundara Karma 23/02/17, £11 ADV

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Lucy Spraggan

03/03/17, £14.50 ADV

All Time Low 11/03/17, £28.50 ADV

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The Stranglers 27/03/17, £25 ADV

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2-Tone Tribute Tour 08/04/17, £19.50 ADV

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